“The TV Didn’t Work”—How a Simple Household Issue Escalated Into a Fatal Family Conflict

A dispute began over the TV not turning on

Was it regret over causing his mother’s death? As he got into the vehicle bound for the prosecutors, the suspect’s expression was completely exhausted.

On the night of April 3, the Takatsu Police Station of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested a 49-year-old self-employed part-time worker, Hōnokidate Takashi, who lives in the ward, on the spot for attempted murder of his 75-year-old mother.

“The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. that day. It appears a dispute started after the mother, who was saying the TV doesn’t turn on at home, was found to have plugged the TV cable into a different socket. The suspect reportedly pushed his mother down to the floor and attempted to kill her by wrapping plastic materials around her neck.

The suspect had been reported to emergency services (110) twice by nearby residents, in April 2022 and April 2025. In both cases, police judged it to be elder abuse and notified the city. After the second incident, the mother was evacuated to a care facility. However, she later returned home of her own will,” said a social affairs reporter from a national newspaper.

The mother was transported to the hospital but was later confirmed dead.

On April 5, when Hōnokidate was brought out of the Takatsu Police Station building for transfer to prosecutors, his expression appeared dazed and vacant. However, upon noticing reporters, he frowned as if realizing the situation was serious, closed his eyes, and looked up toward the sky.

The suspect’s home, where the incident occurred, is located in a quiet residential area. It is a two-story wooden mortar house and is by no means small for two people to live in.

According to local residents, the family originally consisted of four people—the suspect, his father, and siblings. However, the father died several years ago, and later the siblings moved out, leaving the suspect and his mother living together.

“He would greet people if you passed him on the street, but I never really spoke with him. It seemed like he was working, but the blinds in his house were always closed. There were certainly some unusual aspects, but hearing that he had been reported for elder abuse is hard to believe.

I never saw or heard them arguing or fighting, so honestly, it doesn’t really feel real,” said a neighbor.

They become exhausted in a parent–child relationship

Neighbors described both the mother and the suspect as people who were not the type to actively communicate with those around them. Professor Masafumi Usui of Niigata Seiryo University Graduate School (social psychology) comments:

“It feels like a mixture of various problems in modern society. From a welfare or administrative perspective, they would say, ‘Please evacuate from such a household.’ But it is common for people to return home after evacuation because they do not want to live in a facility, or they prefer their own home, or they cannot sever family ties. This is similar in cases where children are abused by parents, or wives are abused by husbands.

There are cases where young children harm their parents, and others where children who were providing care end up harming their parents. This case seems to contain both aspects. It was probably not a healthy family environment.

The suspect had at least a minimal level of interaction such as greetings with neighbors, but in other words, that was the extent of his relationships. He may not have had anyone he could consult about his problems. He was not a shut-in or unemployed, but his social connections were likely very limited.

The mother also found it difficult to send out SOS signals. Authorities such as the government and police do offer help, but not always at a level where a trusting relationship can be built. She may have returned home out of fear of losing her family and being drawn into the other side.”

Based on this, Usui continued:

“Violence against parents is said not to relieve stress. It is often done impulsively, but afterward leads to self-loathing and increased stress. Meanwhile, the person being assaulted loses strength and the ability to make calm judgments. Both sides become exhausted.

If there had been neighborhood relationships, there may have been somewhere to escape to, but we are now in an era where that is also difficult. Administrative systems have taken over that role. Those who can make use of them benefit, but there are also many who cannot.

Welfare services are truly working hard. There are also private support organizations, but there is a real dilemma in that help does not always reach those who need it most.”

The suspect Hōnokidate reportedly stated during police questioning: “I did not intend to kill her.”