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

[evilwise]

what have you got to lose at this point?

Face/Mentsu

Face Is Everything In Japan

You're absolutely correct to be very careful about being critical of Japanese authorities if you want to make any progress in Japan.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Agreeing with annemc2 and evilwise re: the jacket. I have similar thoughts.

I, too, feel like there are cultural differences at play here in how this case was initially investigated, info was released (or not), etc.

What time did the mother/grandmother next door generally get up and start her morning? I am wondering if the killer had already exited the scene prior to that so as to not accidentally be seen when leaving. How busy was that street at different times of the morning when someone may have noticed someone exiting the house? My gut says he would have left under cover of darkness but that's entirely guesswork on my part.

Did the killer wear his shoes the entire time in the house? (Are the bloody footprints shoe tracks?) Culturally, many Japanese households leave their "outsde" shoes at the doorway and use house slippers. Not that a killer is likely to remove his shoes before entering (especially if he came through the window) but I wonder if that points to a cultural difference of the killer (especially if he stayed in the house long enough to calm down/realize what he had done)? Did he remove his shoes at any point if he was indeed in the house a long time? Did he clean his shoes before exiting?

As someone else mentioned, those shoes don't look like skateboarding shoes to me.

Were any local(ish) students investigated, especially any who missed big exams or did poorly prior to or right after the murders (since she was a cram teacher)?

I am still hung up on the clothes. So much detail about the exact outfit and even the cologne he wore, but no leads of importance based on that?

Totally agree, Vls.

That there are cultural differences between US / UK LE is a given. But beyond that, two other important factors that come into play, in my opinion. 1) The tiny number of violent crimes that are seen in Japan every year. I know that home invasion murders, particularly of this nature, are rare anywhere. Let alone in Japan. I think I'm right in saying that in 2015, there was one gun-related homicide in Japan. One. You're more likely to die taking a selfie in Japan than to be murdered. So, that's got to play a part right off the bat. And 2) the timing. This was discovered on NYE. The new year period is one for celebrations and family in Japan. I have to wonder if the calendar hampered this case too.

I don't have details on the grandmother's movements. I just know that she enters the house around 10am when the family won't return her phone calls. I think, like you, that he probably left under cover of darkness too. It makes no sense to risk daylight. (Not that much about this case makes sense). Sunrise would have been about 6:40am. The latest we know for sure he's still in the house is 1:23am. The other advantage the killer would have is that the house is located in a park. While I've been there very early in the morning and you do still see people passing through, there are ample shadows / quiet moments where you see no-one with multiple entrances / exits. He could've slipped out of the house and then appeared in the streets nearby and nobody would have known he had been in the park (unlike, say, if this had happened on a residential street with plenty of windows and neighbours).

I think he did wear his shoes in the house, yes. I can't be sure of that but I'm pretty sure. I think it looks like he tried to avoid the blood pools so he probably kept his shoes on for that reason. I have no idea if he cleaned his shoes -- they are white sneakers after all and blood stains would show pretty clearly. If he was willing to wear Mikio's clothes to leave the house, that makes me think the only reason he kept his sneakers if he left so much else was because Mikio's shoes didn't fit him. And I totally agree, those shoes aren't for skateboarding. Squash or running. I don't even know if Slazenger ever made skating shoes, they're associated with racquet sports as I understand it.

Great question re: any students investigated. I would be shocked if this didn't happen. It would be a massive blind spot and it's hard to believe the TMPD wouldn't have tracked that down.

And as for the clothes he wore, particularly when some of the items were 'rare' in Japan or even not available in Japan -- yes, I agree that seems like one avenue that could lead to answers. Particularly the shoes.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

To me bucket hat in 2000 says Hip Hop look. LL Cool J, Jay Z made them very popular.


How Black culture helped popularize the bucket hat



IMO

That's a good point. Particularly if you look at the black puffer jacket too.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Face/Mentsu

Face Is Everything In Japan

You're absolutely correct to be very careful about being critical of Japanese authorities if you want to make any progress in Japan.

100%, Evilwise. It's not my intention to criticise anyone here. But I do have to ask questions.

And I suppose my question is, would they even lose face by now releasing, say, CCTV images from the supermarket of the killer?

 

[evilwise]

100%, Evilwise. It's not my intention to criticise anyone here. But I do have to ask questions.

And I suppose my question is, would they even lose face by now releasing, say, CCTV images from the supermarket of the killer?

People might ask "why was this not released sooner?"

 

[Sillybilly]

ITA that Yasuko was the target but not necessarily as the object of desire, moreso the object of temporary rage. I strongly feel it is a student she tutored. Most perps if they're going to have any remorse at all, it would be for the child; the fact the jacket was placed over Yasuko and not the child lying next to her IMO indicates more remorse in relation to Yasuko, and is indicative of a closer relationship with her than with other family members.

From what I can find Japan is a 3 term system and second semester ends shortly before Christmas when the winter break starts. If she was his cram teacher, perhaps he failed second semester final exams, found out and held her responsible for such failure. Presumably LE would have become aware of who all her students were, so hopefully they checked on who among them passed and failed second semester.

(Profile based on just gut feel but I think this was a troubled young man from an upstanding family who could not accept failure. I also feel drugs and/or possibly psyche meds combined with alcohol consumption may have been involved, resulting in a psychotic episode that was responsible for the initial rage. The eating of the ice cream, and other actions of making themselves to home in a devil-may-care, cavalier attitude may have resolved during time spent in the household over the course of a few hours, resulting in a show of remorse when they came to their senses. Also, given so much personal evidence was left behind, IMO it smacks of coming to a realization and not caring to cover for themselves due to guilt and horror of their own actions.)

JMO

 

[FacelessPodcast]

People might ask "why was this not released sooner?"

Right, but if nobody (or not many people) are asking questions after 22 years of this being unsolved etc?

I suppose it just seems to me that you could see it as losing face either way.

 

[Sillybilly]

To me bucket hat in 2000 says Hip Hop look. LL Cool J, Jay Z made them very popular.


How Black culture helped popularize the bucket hat



IMO

Agreed Jade. Not only the style of the bucket hat, but IMO in viewing google images of the year 2000 skateboard fashion, the perp's attire is more sophisticated than the skateboarding crowd.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

ITA that Yasuko was the target but not necessarily as the object of desire, moreso the object of temporary rage. I strongly feel it is a student she tutored. Most perps if they're going to have any remorse at all, it would be for the child; the fact the jacket was placed over Yasuko and not the child lying next to her IMO indicates more remorse in relation to Yasuko, and is indicative of a closer relationship with her than with other family members.

From what I can find Japan is a 3 term system and second semester ends shortly before Christmas when the winter break starts. If she was his cram teacher, perhaps he failed second semester final exams, found out and held her responsible for such failure. Presumably LE would have become aware of who all her students were, so hopefully they checked on who among them passed and failed second semester.

(Profile based on just gut feel but I think this was a troubled young man from an upstanding family who could not accept failure. I also feel drugs and/or possibly psyche meds combined with alcohol consumption may have been involved, resulting in a psychotic episode that was responsible for the initial rage. The eating of the ice cream, and other actions of making themselves to home in a devil-may-care, cavalier attitude may have resolved during time spent in the household over the course of a few hours, resulting in a show of remorse when they came to their senses. Also, given so much personal evidence was left behind, IMO it smacks of coming to a realization and not caring to cover for themselves due to guilt and horror of their own actions.)

JMO

Great points, Sillybilly. As you say, covering the mother -which could almost seem caring or remorseful- but ignoring Niina seems strange. It makes sense if she is the reason he's there. Maybe it's possible that murdering her children was also done to hurt her -which is why the killer started with Rei first.

And good thinking on the school semesters. I hadn't even considered timings. I also think the idea of a disgruntled student makes x100 more sense than a Korean hitman on the dime of the Unification Church. But as I say, the TMPD surely can't have overlooked this. Then again, they did only revise down their suspect age range to 15-2o in 2018...

Interesting idea that he could be from a family of good standing where failure wasn't an option. That might also explain why he's got money for a brand new knife, brand new jacket, clothes from M/X, wears Drakkar Noir, and so on.

But it does seem as if they tested his various samples for drugs and alcohol and he came up blank.

 

[Sillybilly]

As the perp encountered Rei first, IMO strangling the child when he had a knife at the ready, appears more an intent to silence him until he could get to his true target. As he leaves Rei's room on his mission to find Yasuko, he encounters Mikio who is interrupting his mission and is stabbed. I believe Yasuko would have been holding Niina in an attempt to protect her, so some of Niina's knife injuries could have been the result of Yasuko holding the child protectively against her chest. The C-spine injury to Niina, IMO would have been the result of the perp violently slashing at Yasuko's face when Niina's back would have been facing the perp, making her cervical spine area vulnerable.

 

[Sillybilly]

Face/Mentsu

Face Is Everything In Japan

You're absolutely correct to be very careful about being critical of Japanese authorities if you want to make any progress in Japan.

I did some investigative work for a Japanese business man once. He owed me about $2000 but sent me cookies in a pretty tin. After months of non-payment I called his office and his assistant lit into me that he had sent me cookies and how dare I insult Mr. XXX. Never did get paid but the cookies were good

 

[FacelessPodcast]

I did some investigative work for a Japanese business man once. He owed me about $2000 but sent me cookies in a pretty tin. After months of non-payment I called his office and his assistant lit into me that he had sent me cookies and how dare I insult Mr. XXX. Never did get paid but the cookies were good

Haha sounds like a case for the TMPD!

 

[FacelessPodcast]

As the perp encountered Rei first, IMO strangling the child when he had a knife at the ready, appears more an intent to silence him until he could get to his true target. As he leaves Rei's room on his mission to find Yasuko, he encounters Mikio who is interrupting his mission and is stabbed. I believe Yasuko would have been holding Niina in an attempt to protect her, so some of Niina's knife injuries could have been the result of Yasuko holding the child protectively against her chest. The C-spine injury to Niina, IMO would have been the result of the perp violently slashing at Yasuko's face when Niina's back would have been facing the perp, making her cervical spine area vulnerable.

I suppose this would assume that Rei had woken up and seen him. The only thing we really know about this murder is that he was face-down. But this could still easily have gone down the way you suggest. It definitely makes sense.

Really interesting possibility about the spine injuries to Niina, too! I'd never considered that.

 

[Sillybilly]

My apologies for having spelled Niina's name wrong upthread. I have edited to correct it.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

My apologies for having spelled Niina's name wrong upthread. I have edited to correct it.

None required!

 

[evilwise]

Right, but if nobody (or not many people) are asking questions after 22 years of this being unsolved etc?

I suppose it just seems to me that you could see it as losing face either way.

If no one asks questions then no one loses face

I did some investigative work for a Japanese business man once. He owed me about $2000 but sent me cookies in a pretty tin. After months of non-payment I called his office and his assistant lit into me that he had sent me cookies and how dare I insult Mr. XXX. Never did get paid but the cookies were good

I believe that what was expected might have been for you to frame the entire conversation as thanking him for the cookies and then somehow very humbly working in a request for your money as if it were just a minor factor. I've never been able to do it effectively. I find Japanese culture to be fascinating and full central Japanese women very beautiful but they hate me. Probably because of my stature and directness - I literally cannot be completely indirect.

I have had good interactions with mixed Japanese though. In fact, the wealthiest Japanese girl I've ever known had a rich Korean/Indonesian father who very much wanted her to integrate into Japanese society but it could be difficult for her and at times he would fly her off to spend a year in Jakarta. Reflecting on that and on the genetic ethnicity of the DNA tests (Japan can be very racist, which is probably why that was so widely publicized) combined with your observation that this crime probably did occur after winter exams (which can basically ruin a Japanese teen's whole life) does increase the likelihood to me that this was the son of a wealthy international who could have just immediately fled the country to wherever he had dual citizenship.

In some ways this makes me thing of Issei Sagawa, cannibal son of wealthy Japanese who worked the international justice system to avoid prison and became a celebrity in Japan.

Issei Sagawa - Wikipedia

Also "Niina" strikes me as an affectionate nickname more than a given name. It's a small thing and just speculation but the more I think about this case and the more Japanese language reporting I read on this case it all seems to have a very strange tone to it that sits wrong with me.

 

[Smkd]

Hi! I’m so looking forward to listening to your podcast when it comes out, I read about this case a while ago and it has always baffled me!

I was wondering, how do we know that the perp spoke Japanese? He went through documents and used the computer, but is there something in particular that makes investigators believe that he knew japanese? He could’ve just gone through documents without reading, and and seems like in the computer he could’ve just clicked on the shortcuts. Maybe creating the folder was an accident? Or if he meant to, maybe he was just looking at the symbols. If he couldn’t read maybe that would explain why he was there for only 5 minutes. I’m sure they have thought of that already but I’m just wondering!

 

[evilwise]

Hi! I’m so looking forward to listening to your podcast when it comes out, I read about this case a while ago and it has always baffled me!

I was wondering, how do we know that the perp spoke Japanese? He went through documents and used the computer, but is there something in particular that makes investigators believe that he knew japanese? He could’ve just gone through documents without reading, and and seems like in the computer he could’ve just clicked on the shortcuts. Maybe creating the folder was an accident? Or if he meant to, maybe he was just looking at the symbols. If he couldn’t read maybe that would explain why he was there for only 5 minutes. I’m sure they have thought of that already but I’m just wondering!

I read in the Chinese language article that he tried to use the computer to buy tickets to something which I thought was very odd to not be more reported - and it didn't say what the tickets he was trying to buy were for.

 

[Jade]

So Rei was not treated as …unkindly… as the others.

Killer chooses to carry out the compulsive-like pacing in Rei’s room. [Or is that the only option with enough clear space?]

I’m working up a notion that the murderer himself, perhaps, has a “learning development” difficulty of his own.

That Lei was a mercy mission to be relieved of the problems the murderer identifies as being from his family.

If the murderer is a dependent because of an even minor disability he could come off as a Mama’s boy.

Maybe he covered Mrs. Miyazawa face while he was prowling so “Mama” isn’t watching.

Cognitive differences could account for the organized/disorganized nature of the crime.

The disconnect from the horror, the lack of the injury being debilitating or scary, the casualness displayed all could be a lack of comprehending the gravity and subsequent urgency of escape.

He could have attended a special needs school.

It could have been comorbid with a mental illness that progresses like schizophrenia and the perp has gone on to a life that doesn’t present for getting caught at another offense.


Such an intimate, particular intrusion into the the wallet and pocket book then the contents going into the toilet as trash with the empty ice cream cups and feces it offers a view to erasure of the parents.

The house keys in the toilet too representing the disrespect for the home, the perceived quality of family life in the home or affirmation of the finality of the murders?


What were the various “documents” in the toilet?

Was the drawer brought to the bathroom and dumped in the tub full of a particular kind of paperwork? Marriage certificate? Birth Certificates?

The drawer dumped then the pertinent papers selected and consigned to the toilet with the rest of the trash?

It strikes me as important that Niina, a little child too, is not spared her face or neck.

Could a sibling of a person with a psychiatric illness/ learning disability be resented for their ease of life in the face of the perp’s struggles? More on the level of the parents not like the perp?

Just because he is a Mama’s boy doesn’t mean he was happy with being destined to that role and how it was handled by the family.

He buys what is obviously to anyone a very sharp knife because he’s affluent and just buys whatever. He’s naïve that is too thin and delicate for the task.

Japanese wrap items commonly so is it that distinctive to have wrapped the knife?

Furoshiki (風呂敷) is a traditional Japanese technique for folding a fabric used to transport clothing, gifts, bento, etc.​

Japanese handkerchief, FUJI, Violet wisteria


Japanese travel maybe he and his family visited The Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB.

Air Force Test Center - Wikipedia



All conjecture and imo.

 

[Smkd]

I read in the Chinese language article that he tried to use the computer to buy tickets to something which I thought was very odd to not be more reported - and it didn't say what the tickets he was trying to buy were for.

Well apparently the website he accessed was for a theatre group, which had been bookmarked. If he did attempt to book tickets it could’ve been by accident if he didn’t understand.