Even While His Mother Was Alive, Child Welfare Services… The Narita “Sixth-Grader Son” Murder Case: The “Complex Circumstances” Bearing Down on a Lonely Father-Son Household

“I couldn’t leave my son alone”

On June 19, the Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Toshihiko Yoshii (67), an unemployed resident of Namiki-cho, Narita City, on a charge of murder for allegedly killing his 11-year-old biological son, who was about to enter the sixth grade of elementary school, in a quiet apartment in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture.

According to the indictment and other documents, he is alleged to have killed his 11-year-old son, Taisei Yoshii, an elementary school student who lived with him, at their apartment on May 27.

While the incident was initially viewed as a tragedy in a lonely single-father household, further investigation revealed “new facts” indicating that the Child Guidance Center had previously intervened with this family on suspicion of abuse.

A social affairs reporter for a national newspaper explains the full picture of the case.

“The case came to light after the elementary school reported that the child had not attended school since May 27 and that there was no response when staff visited the home. When police officers forced open the locked door of the apartment and entered, they found the father and son lying side by side on a futon.

Daisei was already dead, and although suspect Yoshii did not respond to questions, no clear evidence of illness or drug use was found.During questioning, the suspect admitted to the charges, stating, “I strangled my son to death with my hands at home” and “I couldn’t leave my son alone.” However, no marks indicating a direct cause of death were found on the body, and the police are proceeding with a forensic autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.”

According to the police investigation, the father and son had been living alone together since the mother’s death in 2016. However, interviews with officials from the Child Guidance Center revealed new information: the family had been under the center’s supervision even while the mother was still alive.

“About 10 years ago, when Daisei was still young, the Child Guidance Center intervened once on suspicion of abuse by his mother.At that time, the investigation was initiated following a report (referral) from Narita City. Records indicate that while no drastic measures, such as temporary custody, were ultimately taken, the case was closed after providing the necessary ongoing support. The mother passed away shortly thereafter, and while it is difficult to verify detailed records, it is a fact that this family had issues serious enough to place them under government supervision even back then,”

said a Child Guidance Center official in response to an interview by this website. Furthermore, even after the mother’s death, the center’s involvement with this family did not cease.

“Since Daisei showed signs of developmental delays, the Child Guidance Center has conducted assessments on several occasions as part of the process for obtaining and renewing his developmental disability handbook. While we do not have information regarding specific domestic issues, there is no doubt that, as the father was raising Daisei on his own, the situation required ongoing administrative procedures,” said the same official.

Testimonies from neighbors suggest that the elderly father was living under a tremendous burden, caring for his son with developmental delays. Daisei reportedly attended a special education class at an elementary school located about 5 kilometers from his home.

With his son, a upper-grade elementary school student, riding on the back of the bicycle,

a female neighbor recalled the father and son’s daily routine as follows:

“Daisei attended a special education class. It seemed his father didn’t want him to transfer from their original neighborhood, so he would ride his bicycle every day to take him to and from a school 5 kilometers away. Even on rainy days, his father would ride with Daisei on the back of his bicycle.By the upper grades of elementary school, children are quite big, so I always had the impression that it looked like a real struggle for them to get around together. That’s precisely why, looking back now, I feel like I can somehow understand his father’s sense of urgency—that ‘I can’t leave that child alone.’”

A parents’ meeting has already been held at the elementary school Daisei attends, where an explanation was given regarding mental health support for the students.

It is believed that the father and son moved into an apartment in Namiki-cho, Narita City, about a year ago. A resident living in the apartment next door testified about the father and son as follows:

“They started living here about a year ago. I don’t know where they came from.The father didn’t seem to be working, but I didn’t know the details—whether he’d become unemployed after falling ill or not. However, whenever I greeted him, he would always reply with a proper ‘Good morning,’ and his son was also a child who would return greetings. Not once did I ever hear shouting or the sound of hitting coming from their apartment.”

In addition, a female resident of foreign nationality living in the same apartment building said:

“It was always just the two of them, and they seemed to get along well and looked happy. They didn’t give the impression of being short on money; they ate proper meals and wore neat clothes,”

She added that those around them had seen no prior trouble or noticeable signs of financial hardship.

However, behind that quiet life, they were nearing their physical limits. In the bicycle parking area, the cargo bike the father used to pick up and drop off his son remained, but Daisei’s own children’s bike was not there.

“That boy didn’t have his own bike. So, watching from the outside, I felt that having his father carry Daisei—who had grown so much—on the back of his own bike was probably reaching its limit, both in terms of age and physical stature,” said the neighbor from the room next door (as mentioned earlier).

It began with allegations of abuse by his mother 10 years ago, followed by the loss of his mother. Then came the task of caring for his son. Given the history of past interactions with local government agencies and child welfare services, why was the worst possible outcome not prevented?

To uncover the full details of the tragedy that unfolded in that isolated apartment, the police are continuing their full-scale investigation—