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

[FacelessPodcast]

Does anyone have any idea what type of calendar this is? It looks to be something like a classroom calendar. With a plane on each page???

Or, is this the front page of a calendar? Is the "9" the year? Meaning Heisei year 9, or 1997? Not sure how this relates to the logo, but I'm just trying to figure out what I'm looking at. A daily calendar, with this particular page being that for the 9th of the month, or the front of a calendar?

So it's overlaid on some school-related stuff. This image gives you a better idea. My guess was it was the 9th month and it seems to be tearaway kind? Also, if that's Rei's birthday, that's two years before the murders

 

[FacelessPodcast]

I was obsessed with model airplanes when I was a kid, and to me it looks like a caricatured version of a B-25:

North American B-25 Mitchell - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Exactly this

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Is this definitely a calendar?

The binding at the top looks a lot like a portfolio binding, and I can't tell if the airplane drawing is in a clear plastic sleeve.

Mikio was an artist if I remember correctly. Is it possible this is one of Mikio's drawings?

I am almost certain it's a calendar unless it's some kind of mini poster. But the spine suggests it's re-enforced for the ripping motion of those tear-away type calendars?

 

[fridaybaker]

Looking at the bigger photo, I can see the "tear-away" aspect. If you look immediately under the top black line, or binding, it seems as if several pages have already been torn away.

NO: Is it possible to give us an idea as to how this fits into your inquiry/line of thinking?

And, this is WAY outside my wheelhouse, so I have to ask: Is it odd to have a calendar in a Japanese home depicting an American WWII fighter plane? One which was specifically used against Japan?

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I am almost certain it's a calendar unless it's some kind of mini poster. But the spine suggests it's re-enforced for the ripping motion of those tear-away type calendars?

You're probably right. I thought I was seeing clear plastic sleeves but now that you've posted the full original image it does just look like paper.

I've tried to improve the quality of the image but I'm not sure it will help much:

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Looking at the bigger photo, I can see the "tear-away" aspect. If you look immediately under the top black line, or binding, it seems as if several pages have already been torn away.

NO: Is it possible to give us an idea as to how this fits into your inquiry/line of thinking?

sadly I can't really say too much here but you could probably put this together...

Yokota Air Base Friendship Festival 2024 - May Events in Tokyo

 

[FacelessPodcast]

You're probably right. I thought I was seeing clear plastic sleeves but now that you've posted the full original image it does just look like paper.

I've tried to improve the quality of the image but I'm not sure it will help much:

View attachment 472216
View attachment 472217

Appreciate this!

Does that look like JDS?

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Two side notes to follow. One:

 

[Auntie Cipation]

It looks like a tear-away something, for sure, but a calendar would have the squares with the days, no?

I reverse-googled the image and it seems to be similar to a P-51 Mustang?

IMO because I know nothing about military aviation history.

North American P-51 Mustang - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Two: if you could ask the Chief anything, please list your questions!

 

[fridaybaker]

sadly I can't really say too much here but you could probably put this together...

Yokota Air Base Friendship Festival 2024 - May Events in Tokyo

Gotcha, thanks.

 

[dub]

Two: if you could ask the Chief anything, please list this questions!

Can I get permission to speak with and contact info for the 30-40 detectives currently working on the case, as well as a translator.

 

[fridaybaker]

Appreciate this!

Does that look like JDS?

If you can see JDS in that, you have great eyes!!!

As I type this, I'm reminded of Arrin Stoner. Not sure if we've discussed him before, but he does videos on crime which focus on interpreting photo/video images.

And about questions for the chief? Can we go back to the sand, please?!!

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

sadly I can't really say too much here but you could probably put this together...

Yokota Air Base Friendship Festival 2024 - May Events in Tokyo

The Miyazawa family loved American airplanes; a US air base was relatively nearby and held annual friendship festivals; POI lived at air base.

I see where you're going with this.

Appreciate this!

Does that look like JDS?

You're welcome. Unfortunately I still can't make out what it says. The final symbol/letter looks a bit like a "Z" but it's still so fuzzy.

 

[vls12345]

Japan Air System logo?

File:Japan Air System Logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Japan Air System logo?
View attachment 472231

File:Japan Air System Logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

That could well be it! 10 points to vls

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Japan Air System logo?
View attachment 472231

File:Japan Air System Logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

YES! Well done!

I thought there were just red, white and blue stripes. But now that you've posted this, I can see that what I thought was a red stripe is actually multicoloured.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I am almost certain it's a calendar unless it's some kind of mini poster. But the spine suggests it's re-enforced for the ripping motion of those tear-away type calendars?

I think it might be an airport timetable rather than a calendar?

 

[fridaybaker]

Been reading about Yokota. Seems like a very plum assignment. Lots of folks rate it as the best base there is.

Also read that all military are required to live on base. Only contractors, etc., can live off base. Not sure if that was true 20+ years ago, but it seems to be the situation now.

 

[vls12345]

This thread brings back memories of my child hood.

Your hunch is right. The cars of senior officers did have distinctive stickers on them. Soldiers walking on base were required to salute the car when it passed by- even if the officer was not likely to actually be in the car. I cant remember if all senior officers above a certain rank were given the stickers, or just those in command positions.

In regards to stickered cars and dependents and gate inspections.....

My father was an officer with a stickered car. As you suspected, inspections of my family at gates were token. Stickered cars also had some other neat privelages such as being directed to priority / reserved parking at base events- even if my father was not in the car. We were also allowed to pass though convoys of military trucks while other cars were held up.

Anyways....

Based on my gate experiences, I can see a stickered car being driven by a respectful and sober dependent being given a token inspection unless there were very high red flags. Injuries might not be noticed. And if noticed, the gate guard maybe inclined to accept "Ohh, I cut my hand helping replace a glass window at my GF's house- Yes, I"ll get it looked at." explanation with out referring the driver to the senior NCO on duty and logging the incident.

Thanks for the confirmation, Cryptic. I also was the child of a ranking military officer & distinctly remember specific stickers on the vehicle resulting in us usually being waved through at the gates (even without my parent in the car). As you pointed out, they were token inspections at most. On a base, there's a definite hierarchy & that hierarchy is entrenched & respected. All this was pre-9/11, of course. And, my experience is with bases located in the US, not ones located in other countries so I wasn't sure if the same behaviors tended to be in practice or not.

My thought is that if the killer was the teen child of a high-ranking officer & the killer was driving the car that had the ranking stickers on it, it would have been waved through at the gate. Easy-peasy for the killer to get back on base & get home (if that's what happened). Imo.