Defendant Who Allegedly Burned Victim Alive Says Boat-Race Gambling Debts Drove the Crime

The defendant stated: “I did not use violence. I did not start the fire. I did not conspire.”

He denied three of the four charges.

On November 14, at the Saitama District Court, the first hearing was held for Wataru Kikuchi (40), of no fixed address and unemployed, who is charged with murder, arson of an inhabited building, fraud, and attempted fraud. In May 2022, Kikuchi is alleged to have conspired with former interior construction worker Toshiki Ōnishi (34—now serving a confirmed 23-year sentence for murder and other crimes) to kill interior construction company president Mr. A (then 43).

“AŌnishi’s defense claims that he had work-related troubles. They argue that Ōnishi suddenly began hitting Mr. A and then set the office on fire. Kikuchi admits he was present, but insists he did not participate in the crime and left the office.

The prosecution, however, argues that it was Kikuchi who approached Ōnishi offering payment for his cooperation. They state that right before the incident, Kikuchi sent Ōnishi a message hinting at killing Mr. A, and that he deleted the message history before police began investigating.” (Judicial reporter for a national newspaper)

FRIDAY Digital interviewed both Kikuchi and Ōnishi immediately after their arrests, conducting an in-depth investigation into the dispute. Here, we will detail the full sequence of events and the shocking motive behind the crime.

Footage of a wagon vehicle driving away

The roof had collapsed, and the walls were pitch black with soot. Firefighters moved hurriedly back and forth. The arson site in the immediate aftermath of the incident presented a raw and harrowing scene.

On November 20, 2022, the Saitama Prefectural Police Asaka Station arrested Kikuchi and Ōnishi on suspicion of murder and arson of an occupied structure. They are accused of setting fire to the office and workshop of an interior construction company in the city and killing its president, Mr. A. Mr. A was the primary contractor, while Kikuchi and Ōnishi worked under subcontract.

“Mr. A and the two suspects seem to have first met in January 2022 and had been working together since. On May 13, the day before the incident, the three of them, along with other workers, went to Tokyo for an interior construction job. The work lasted until the early hours of the next day, and they dismissed at the office shortly before 5 a.m.

Kikuchi and Ōnishi are believed to have returned to the company afterward and committed the crime. During police questioning immediately after the incident, the two acknowledged that they had been at the company during the time of the crime but claimed they had returned to pick up materials.” (National newspaper social affairs reporter)

Around 10 a.m., a passerby discovered the company’s prefabricated building engulfed in flames and called 119. The office space of approximately 37 square meters was completely destroyed, and Mr. A’s charred remains were found in the debris. Since there was no source of ignition at the site and bloodstains remained, the police began investigating the case as arson. Security camera footage captured Kikuchi and Ōnishi leaving the company premises in a wagon vehicle, leading to their arrest.

A heinously brutal crime

“Kikuchi and Ōnishi are suspected of repeatedly striking Mr. A’s head with a crowbar or other blunt instrument. Multiple fractures were found on the victim’s body. Carbon monoxide was detected in his bloodstream. Since the office door had been locked, it is possible that after being assaulted, Mr. A was confined while still alive and burned to death.” (same source)

At the time of their arrest, the two reportedly claimed there had been unpaid daily wages. According to people familiar with the matter, there were also rumors that Kikuchi had borrowed a large sum of money from Mr. A. In the opening trial mentioned earlier, the prosecution pointed to a shocking motive.

“Kikuchi was a subcontractor for Mr. A’s interior construction company. Ōnishi appears to have been a further subcontractor under Kikuchi. According to the prosecution, Kikuchi had become addicted to boat racing and struggled to pay subcontractors. After killing Mr. A, Kikuchi allegedly conspired with Ōnishi to steal money from the company.” (Judicial reporter)

Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Yasuhei Ogawa explains:

“If they repeatedly beat the victim and then burned him alive, it is an extremely heinous crime. The defendant’s claim that he was merely at the scene and did not participate, while the accomplice did everything, lacks credibility. The prosecution likely has substantial evidence.”

The verdict is scheduled to be delivered on December 5.