[Playback 2015] The Awaji Island 5 Murders – Disturbing Behavior Leading Up to the Tragedy

What did FRIDAY report 10, 20, and 30 years ago? In this edition of Playback Friday, we revisit notable topics from the past. This time, we look back at the article published in the March 27, 2015 issue: Awaji Island – The Fear of a “Reclusive Demon” Who Could Be Anywhere: The Murder of Five People.

Sumoto City on Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture, is also known for its hot springs. In a small, rarely visited village about 20 minutes by car from the city center, five residents were murdered (quoted passages from past articles are indicated with《》. All ages mentioned are as of that time).

The tragedy that struck the quiet village

“The residents here are mostly elderly. Many share the same surname, and in the past, we used to celebrate milestones like turning sixty or childbirth together. In recent years, community gatherings have stopped, and interactions have decreased, but there had never been any trouble.” (Resident)

On the morning of March 9, 2015, a horrific incident occurred in a quiet village with just nine scattered houses. One of the residents, X (40 at the time), broke into the home of Mr. A (82), located about 50 meters from his own house. There, he brutally stabbed and killed Mr. A and his wife (79) with a survival knife.

X then proceeded to the neighboring home of Mr. B (62), where he similarly attacked and killed Mr. B, his wife (59), and his mother (84).

B’s eldest daughter managed to escape and called the police. When officers arrived at the scene, they found X standing on the street in a daze. He reportedly stated, “I did it,” and was arrested on the spot for attempted murder.

X had dropped out of a technical high school and remained single and unemployed until the age of 40. He had been living a reclusive life in a detached building on his family’s property. What kind of person was X?

 

Relatives felt the killer’s abnormality

The “Abnormality” of the Perpetrator as Perceived by Relatives

“About six or seven years ago, X’s parents began living separately, and he lived with his father and grandmother. His mother lived off her pension at her family’s home. His father retired from an NTT-affiliated company and took up farming.

X’s hobby was computers. When I asked him for help with a computer issue, he would give me advice like, ‘You should do this.’ He was also into motorcycles, riding an off-road bike. In his 20s, he helped his grandfather, who was a fisherman, with trawling for shellfish and shrimp, but that didn’t last long. The last time I saw him was 11 years ago, and I had no idea what kind of work he was doing.” (Relative of X)

Although he was polite and seemed like an ordinary man, his relatives noticed signs of abnormality.

“About four years ago, I received a friend request from X on Facebook. When I checked his page, I saw strange and incomprehensible things written there, so I immediately declined the request. I knew he was seeing a psychiatrist at a hospital.”

At the time, X’s social media was filled with delusional posts. He repeatedly accused multiple people by name of committing electromagnetic wave crimes. He even uploaded photos and addresses of victim A’s family, alleging that they were using electromagnetic weapons to spy on and brainwash others.

Until the fall of 2013, X had been in and out of a psychiatric hospital in Akashi City and was living alone on welfare in the same city. However, about six months before the incident, he moved back to his family home and became reclusive.

“A’s family, whose personal information was posted online, consulted the Hyogo Prefectural Police a total of nine times. A few years earlier, A’s grandson had complained about the noise of X’s motorcycle, which led to a conflict. It seems that since then, X harbored resentment against A’s family. However, the police only increased patrols in the area and never directly confronted X.” (Hyogo Prefectural Police reporter)

Five people were brutally murdered due to one man’s delusions. After X’s arrest, multiple knives were confiscated from his home. Could the police have prevented this tragedy?

His eyes were clearly unfocused

X had been taking the stimulant drug “Ritalin” in large doses over an extended period, which reportedly led to delusions starting around 2006. Over time, he began exhibiting bizarre behavior, such as shouting incoherently and creating noise pollution with his motorcycle. In 2009, he had a conflict with the grandson of A, the aforementioned victim. Following this, he repeatedly harassed A’s household with nuisance phone calls and defamed them online. In December 2010, X was arrested on charges of defamation but was not indicted. He was subsequently placed in involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in a hospital in Akashi City, where he continued living.

The temporary peace that A’s family had enjoyed in X’s absence was shattered on February 14, about a month before the incident. X had returned to his family home and was seen wandering the neighborhood, taking photographs while shouting “Kyeee!” According to A’s grandson, who witnessed this, X’s eyes were clearly unfocused.

Concerned, A and his family repeatedly consulted the police. While patrols were increased, the police reportedly asked them, “You’re not provoking X, are you?” and even dismissed some of their complaints, saying, “Don’t call us just because he glared at you.” Meanwhile, X continued his online attacks against the victims, repeatedly posting defamatory content and even sharing their photos. In the week leading up to the crime, he had done this more than 50 times.

During his trial, which began in February 2017, X presented an eccentric defense. In March, he was initially sentenced to death after being deemed criminally responsible at the time of the incident. However, in the appeals trial, a new psychiatric evaluation diagnosed him with delusional disorder, leading to a revised sentence of life imprisonment. This ruling was finalized in January 2021.

“We cannot possibly accept today’s ruling.” Upon hearing the life sentence in the appeals court, A’s bereaved family expressed their deep disappointment, and the verdict was met with widespread criticism online.

Despite repeated warnings to the authorities before the incident, the victims’ families were powerless to prevent the tragedy. One can only imagine the depth of their grief and frustration.