Five Victims Suffer Coma-Inducing Attack as Taxi Driver Admits Insanity but Executed Premeditated Crimes

Two more victims

The 54-year-old former taxi driver sat silently, staring intently at Presiding Judge Satoko Morotokuji.

After the prosecutor read the indictment, the judge asked, “Are there any mistakes?” When she followed up with, “Are you thinking about it now, or are you choosing not to answer?” the defendant slowly turned toward his lawyer on the right, then back to face the judge, and muttered softly, “I’m thinking.”

The former taxi driver, Satoshi Tanaka (54), repeatedly committed crimes by giving sleeping pills to intoxicated female passengers in his taxi, rendering them unable to resist, engaging in sexual acts, and recording videos of the assaults. On November 25, the second trial against Tanaka was held at the Tokyo District Court. He is charged with four crimes: non-consensual sexual intercourse, non-consensual indecent acts, photographing sexual acts, and trespassing.

The crimes came to light after Tanaka was arrested on October 30, 2024, for a coma-inducing robbery.

“In this case, Tanaka was initially released under suspended disposition, but the Tokyo Metropolitan Police continued investigating. On December 28, they searched his home and seized a USB drive containing approximately 3,000 videos and images showing indecent acts against multiple women. By analyzing these materials and identifying the victims, on May 21, 2025, Tanaka was re-arrested for giving alcohol and sleeping pills to a woman identified as ‘A,’ putting her into a coma, and committing sexual assault,” reported a national newspaper social affairs journalist.

Following repeated arrests and indictments, the initial trial on October 28 examined Tanaka’s crimes against three women, A through C. During the second trial, the prosecution’s reading of the indictment and opening statements revealed his horrific crimes against two additional women.

Pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity

In late February 2024, D, who was drinking with her partner, got into a taxi driven by the defendant along with her partner. After the partner got out, Tanaka gave sleeping pills to D while driving with only her in the taxi.

While stopped in various locations in Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo, Tanaka took advantage of D being asleep from the drugs and engaged in sexual acts with her. He also recorded videos and photos of her body using his smartphone, and even photographed her identification documents.

Similarly, in early September 2024, while a taxi was stopped in a parking lot in Minato Ward, Tokyo, Tanaka took advantage of E being asleep from drugs and engaged in sexual acts. He recorded videos and photos of her body and photographed her identification documents as well.

During the trial, Tanaka’s defense attorney reserved judgment regarding the acts against D and E. However, in the first trial, he had claimed innocence regarding his crimes against A through C, arguing:

“I do not dispute the acts described in the indictment. However, at the time of the incidents, the defendant was in a state of insanity. Under Article 39, Paragraph 1 of the Penal Code (‘Acts committed by a person in a state of insanity are not punishable’), he asserts that he is not guilty.”

During the first trial, Tanaka spoke only in a barely audible voice, muttering phrases like “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember.”

Investigators who seized a USB from Tanaka’s home found approximately 50 sexual images taken since 2008. Tanaka also photographed victims’ identification documents during his crimes.

Given the number of offenses, why does he repeatedly claim, “I don’t remember”? More importantly, despite frequently being in a state of claimed insanity, how was he able to continue working as a taxi driver without apparent difficulties?

Tanaka’s manipulations prior to the crime

Tanaka reportedly moved between taxi companies every six months to a year. A former colleague who worked with him during one period shared their impression:

“Tanaka wasn’t very sociable, so we only saw him at the office. He didn’t seem like the type who would commit such crimes. He was serious, quiet, and didn’t talk much. He never caused trouble. He had a cute-looking face and, at first glance, looked a bit younger than he was. I suppose he was slightly nervous at times.”

On the other hand, someone from one of the taxi companies where Tanaka worked recalled the difficulties after his arrest, frowning:

“After his arrest, the police came several times—it was really tough. He never took breaks and consistently showed up for work; he was diligent. It started to seem odd when the police came a few times asking if he had stolen money from passengers. I think they had been investigating even before his arrest on October 30 last year, so he might have been a habitual thief.

He had good sales. But later, I realized that perhaps the money he reported as fares wasn’t from passengers paying for rides, but from intoxicated passengers he had drugged.”

After Tanaka’s arrest on October 30, a strange pattern was noticed:

“Only when female passengers were in the taxi, parts of the footage from the drive recorder were missing. The recording would show the passenger getting in and falling asleep, then skip to them waking up or calling the police. Those in-between moments were missing. Tanaka had deliberately turned off the drive recorder for the parts that were inconvenient for him. Normally, it would be impossible for footage not to exist, and we didn’t expect anyone to turn off the recorder selectively, so we didn’t notice at first. This can only be done intentionally by the person themselves.”

Even the meticulous act of selectively stopping the drive recorder—precisely where his crimes would have been recorded—raises questions about whether he really doesn’t remember.

In court, Tanaka, with his graying shaved head and large round glasses, stared at the proceedings with unfocused eyes, occasionally glancing slowly toward the audience.

As the trial continues, likely without further substantive statements from Tanaka, it remains uncertain how much of the truth will ultimately be revealed.

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