Elementary School Teacher Arrested for Indecent Acts as Neighbors Recall “Something Unusual”
He indecently assaulted a younger girl
“A moment of weakness.”
The teacher who committed indecent acts against a female student at the elementary school where he worked reportedly explained his motive this way during questioning.
“On January 8, the Sayama Police Station of the Saitama Prefectural Police arrested Kodai Furukawa (26), an elementary school teacher, on suspicion of indecent assault. Furukawa is suspected of committing indecent acts, such as touching the body of a lower-grade elementary school girl, in classrooms and other locations at a public elementary school in Saitama Prefecture where he was working at the time, between around September 1, 2022, and March 24, 2023.
Furukawa has partially denied the allegations, reportedly stating, ‘I have touched the body of a female student at school in the past, but I do not clearly remember the details of this matter,’” said a reporter from the social affairs department of a national newspaper.
At around 8 a.m. on January 9, Furukawa was sent to prosecutors. When he appeared from the transfer entrance of the Sayama Police Station and noticed the cameras, he hurriedly pulled up the collar of his sweatshirt to hide his face. Inside the police transport vehicle, he leaned forward, showing that he did not want his face to be photographed.
The incident came to light after the guardian of another female student—separate from the victim in this case—consulted the school. The same social affairs reporter continued:
“In early December 2025, the elementary school where Furukawa worked received a consultation from a guardian saying, ‘My child was subjected to indecent acts by a teacher.’ As the school conducted an investigation, it was discovered that Furukawa had committed indecent acts against a different female student from the one mentioned in the consultation. After the parents of that victim, who were informed by the school, filed a report with the Sayama Police Station on the 17th of the same month, the arrest was made.
Since multiple students at the school have reported being subjected to indecent acts by Furukawa, the Sayama Police Station is continuing its investigation on the assumption that there may be additional offenses.”
We asked the school board
Furukawa lived in a newly built apartment building, about a year and a half old, roughly a 10-minute walk from the nearest station. When shown a photo of Furukawa, a woman in her 20s who lives in the same building said the following:
“I think I’ve passed by him a few times. He just seemed serious—nothing particularly memorable. However, a little while ago, tape was put over his mailbox so that mail couldn’t be delivered. So I wondered if something had happened.”
Perhaps because it is a newly built apartment building, nearby residents say they “have no interaction at all with the people living there.” However, a man who lives across from the building reflected, “Now that I think about it…” and said:
“At the end of last year, there was a car parked where you could see the entrance of that apartment building, and two men were sitting in the driver’s and passenger’s seats. I thought they were police, but since it was around the end of the year, I figured they might just be on alert for some kind of incident.”
What kind of teacher was Furukawa?
On February 2, when the Personnel Division for Elementary and Junior High Schools of the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education was contacted, they stated that his background could not be disclosed due to personal information, and continued:
“As the police investigation is currently underway, we are also taking time to confirm the details of the case on our end. Since we are still in the process of verifying the facts, we are unable to comment at this time.”
During questioning, Furukawa admitted that he had touched the body of a female student at school in the past, but stated that he “does not remember” the alleged acts against the victim in this case. Had he repeatedly committed indecent acts against many of his own students? If so, it would hardly be something that could be described as merely a moment of weakness.
There is also a possibility that he could be rearrested on additional charges. It may take more time before the full extent of the damage becomes clear.
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Interview and text by： Nakahira PHOTO： Shinji Hasuo