A Murderer’s Profile: Shuri Katagiri, the Killer of Teacher Anako Misata
Until Katagiri was assigned to Obihiro Agriculture in April of this year, he had been a colleague of Miyata for four years, from April 2004 to March of this year, when he worked at another high school in Hokkaido. Katagiri was in charge of the agriculture department, and Miyata taught English.
“They both seemed to be very popular with students and parents. If a student was absent for a long period of time, they would go to either one of them for advice. He never raised his voice. He was a mild-mannered and educated teacher. Katagiri also has a wife and three children, and even back then, he was well known for his rapport with Ms. Miyata.”
Katagiri was the baseball team manager at the high school where he and Miyata were colleagues, and he was also the assistant manager at Obihiro Agricultural Co. In 2021, Obihiro made its first appearance in the summer Koshien National Championships in 39 years. The revival of the old powerhouse was said to have excited local residents.
“Ms. Miyata had left his home and was watching an Obihiro baseball game. The site of the body dump and the stadium where the game was being played are less than a 20-minute walk apart. The woods where the body was dumped are close to a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force base, and there are no exterior lights, so it is pitch dark at night. There are almost no pedestrians on the street.
Katagiri and Miyata must have had an argument while talking in the car. Since Katagiri was carrying a shovel to dispose of the body, the police are investigating on the grounds that there was a big conflict between them.” (said another national newspaper reporter)
Many fans are heartbroken by the tragic incident that took place in their local area. Obihiro Agricultural College is also the setting of a famous manga and TV drama.
“The story is called “Silver Spoon,” written by Hiromu Arakawa, a graduate of Obihiro Agricultural College. It is a masterpiece about high school students who grow up through farming while worrying about love and the future. Obihiro Agricultural College is also the model school for NHK’s morning drama “Natsuzora” starring Suzu Hirose, which aired in the first half of 2019. Last year, the school made its first appearance in the Koshien National High School Baseball Tournament in a long time, and the news was good, but this incident is very unfortunate.”
The police are investigating the relationship between Katagiri and Miyata and the motive for the murder.
Photo: Kyodo News Agency