46-Year-Old Man Kills Ex-Wife and Four Biological Children Living Together

An unemployed man has been arrested again.

On July 10, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s First Investigation Division re-arrested Yusuke Goto (46) on suspicion of murder and arson of a residential building. Goto is accused of killing a mother and her four children in a home in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, in May of this year. The deceased woman was his ex-wife, and the children were his biological children.

FRIDAY Digital reported in an article published on June 24 this year about the tragic murder case in detail. We are reprinting and reflecting on the unforgivable motive behind Goto’s crime (some content has been modified).

Showing No Signs of Despondency

According to the police, the man reportedly spoke calmly about the motives behind his crime. The same impression can be gleaned from photos taken by our newspaper’s photographer during his transfer. He maintained a sharp gaze around him and did not show any signs of despondency.

On June 19, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s First Investigation Division arrested Yusuke Goto, who is unemployed and has no fixed address, on suspicion of murder. Goto is accused of killing his ex-wife, Fuyumi Takanami (37), who was a care worker, in their shared residence in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.

“The incident for which Goto was arrested occurred between 5 p.m. on May 22 this year and 1 p.m. the following day. Goto is accused of stabbing Fuyumi Takanami multiple times in the chest and other areas with a knife, killing her, in their two-story home in Shinagawa Ward. The body was discovered in a Japanese-style room near the entrance on the first floor. In the same room, the bodies of three children, aged 2 to 6, with stab wounds were also found.

After killing Takanami, Goto reportedly set his house on fire and attempted a double suicide by cutting his own neck with a knife. His injuries were superficial and did not threaten his life. Having inhaled smoke and sustained burns, he was transported to the hospital by firefighters who arrived at the scene. He was arrested after his recovery. Goto has confessed to the crime to the police, saying that there wasn’t any mistake” (a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department).

The 119 emergency call to the fire department was made around 2 p.m. on May 23. A relative living nearby reported, “There is a burnt smell, but the door is locked, and we can’t get inside the house.” According to the police, the cause of death for Takanami and their 3-year-old second daughter was blood loss from knife wounds. The 6-year-old eldest daughter and 2-year-old son are said to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The scene was in a residential area close to the Togoshi Ginza shopping district. What kind of trouble might have plagued this family, who were reported to have a good reputation among neighbors?

“Takanami and Goto were said to have been arguing about the division of household chores and child-rearing responsibilities. The exact reasons are unclear, but Takanami had left her job at a care facility about a year ago. Goto was working as a freelance video editor but was struggling, with little income and reaching a dead end.

They may have both been in unstable mental states. Discussions about divorce began earlier this year. The divorce was finalized on May 20, three days before the incident was discovered. Goto was scheduled to move out of the house by May 27″ (same source).

Yusuke Goto is reported to have said the following about his motive for killing Takanami:

“On the day of the incident, I was told, ‘Get out right now!’ and I lost my temper and stabbed her. I couldn’t control my anger.”

He is also said to have been involved in the killing of the three children. He reportedly made the following unforgivable statement about the murders:

“I felt sorry for the children because their mother was dead and their father was arrested. I thought it was pitiful for the children if their parents became murderers. (Setting the house on fire) was because I thought it would be better if both the children and I burned up and disappeared.”

Goto is suspected of having repeatedly stabbed the fleeing children after killing Takanami. According to reports from Jiji Press and others, an untouched dinner was left on the dining table in the living room.