Japan - Miyazawa family of 4 murdered, Setagaya, Tokyo, 30 Dec 2000 #4

[Lalalacasbah]

About the scarf. I understand the scarf was a free type item given away at game centers, arcades, or uniform stores.. along those lines. It was well used like the bag so assumed used/worn(?) by the killer for awhile. It's the only item untraceable of origin. Coincidence or clue? Maybe I'm overthinking.

I still think that Town Seven/Ogikubo and arcade area(?) might be where they maybe crossed paths. I know I said this already... but if he didn't work or live right by Town Seven he could've went to multiple places to buy "supplies".

He seemed comfortable at Town Seven and knew his way around, where to go to get exactly what he needed. I guess if he hung out at a mall a lot he would know that too but maybe just shows his laziness like his blasé attitude about the house after the killings. I truly hope TMPD looked at all restaurant, arcade and store employees at Town Seven.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

There's a US (I think) writer/gamer reviewer that lived(lives?) in Ogikubo that made a post on his gaming review site back in 2008, I don't think I can post here (PM me if you'd like the link). Maybe @FacelessPodcast or @Incoherent might know who I mean?!

It's an interesting read because he describes in a very detailed manner about an arcade he loves - seconds walking distance from the exit of the Seiyu supermarket in Ogikubo in the basement of Town Seven.

He mentions walking past the bagel shop, rice shop, international grocery and through a winding passageway into the basement of the Town Seven building as he holds his breath walking past a fish market.

I have no idea if this was the structure of stores or the same in the building as it was in 2000. Article was written in 2008. @Incoherent might know if living there in 2000.

Regardless, you get a sense of the building and atmosphere, almost like being there. I imagine and wonder if the family ever walked those same places at all. I think their children maybe to young for the arcade but on the way to arcade you pass food/grocery stores so maybe same vicinity? MOO

 

[Charlot123]

Except the bathroom window wide open and the insect screen on the floor below it?
I could imagine the killer turning off all the lights before he escapes again to not be seen, but if he hadn’t escaped yet then I’m not sure of the likelihood of him carrying around cabinet drawers and throwing things everywhere, stepping over bodies, going up and down the stairs, eating and drinking etc, in pitch darkness.
At 3am either the lights were still on, or they weren’t and the window was wide open and screen on the floor. Both are noticeable in my opinion.

Nic has also already told us several times from his conversations with the chief that there were no witness sightings at all.

To quote the chief in Faceless “Japan is very good at collecting DNA, but terrible at using it”. Collecting DNA and having large databases won’t mean anything at all if the law still prevents it from being used in a way to find the killer, and at the moment it is still against the law. Setagaya city is currently fighting for this to be overturned but it is hugely unpopular in Japan due to people not wanting their privacy to be invaded in any other way.
It will be the usage laws that will change this case.

Until then, we have the TMPD and Nic doing the lord’s work trying to find him.

As you are closer to Japanese sources, have you ever come across the version that someone intentionally imitated continuous presence of the perpetrator in the house by first leaving it, and then entering later? I saw it somewhere online and I believe, the question was about the ability of a first-time perpetrator to stay in the house with four bodies, unless the person had severest mental illness.

(Can’t comment on what the Lord wants for fear of hubris, so I leave it up to you.)

 

[Incoherent]

I have a question.
I scoured through the threads but couldn't find whether or not it was already covered.

Do we know if the killer left the house with the lights on or not?
If he did, what were the lights that were still on?
If he didn't, did he leave any traces on the light switches when turning them off?
Was there any mention of this from Yasuko's mother or the police?

I'm the first to admit that ultimately it doesn't make a whole lot of difference but surely it would further suggest his route throughout the house, and if he did switch them off it would be really weird that he would go through them all after not caring about leaving traces.

Like the entrance point, just something random that has been bothering me lately.

It could be explained as many different situations, but looking back on pictures from that morning the porch light is still on here. Does it look like the light is also on in the window above the door? You can see the Irie’s porch light is off.
Looking back at the bathroom window which was found wide open the light in there also appears to be off.

All of these smaller details might be explained in An Irie’s book which I’m looking to get my hands on soon, as after Haruko she was the next one in the house I believe along with her husband.