Manabu Sasaki Caught Smoking in Bullying Railway Crossing Murder Case

“I had the impression that he was a good father.”

Emerging from his stylish single-family home, the man walks with a disgruntled expression, a cigarette dangling from his mouth (first photo). Six months later, this man would shock the world as a suspect in a brutal murder case.

On December 8, 2023, four individuals were arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on charges of murder and confinement: Manabu Sasaki (39), the president of the painting company “M.A. Kenso” in Kodaira City, Tokyo, along with employees Akihito Shimohata (34), Shunta Nozaki (39), and Atsuya Iwade (30).

“Sasaki and the others are suspected of kidnapping their former colleague, Osamu Takano (56 at the time), on the night of December 2, 2023, to the early hours of the 3rd. They immobilized him and took him to a railway crossing on the Tobu Tojo Line in Tokumaru, Itabashi Ward. They ordered him to step onto the tracks, where he was killed by being run over by a train. At ‘M.A. Kenso,’ there had been ongoing bullying of Mr. Takano, primarily led by Sasaki,” reported a journalist from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

The above photo, taken in early June while the magazine was reporting on the scene, shows Sasaki. He emerged from his home in Kodaira City, walking with a cigarette in hand, showing no sign of remorse as he headed toward the worksite.

 

 

What kind of person is Sasaki, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the crime? A nearby resident shared their impressions:

“Sasaki and his family moved here about two years ago. I had the impression of him being a good father, playing catch with his child in front of the house or letting them play in the inflatable pool during the summer.”