Japan - Namiko Takaba (32) murdered at home, 13 Nov 1999

[Charlot123]

Regardless of the case. In mid-2010s when ancestry took off so much, there were many advices to collect DNAs from the oldest living relatives, to make a database, on a family level and otherwise.

Genetic criminology is just a tiny part of DNA studies. Japan is becoming the oldest country in the world. (Soon ethnically to be diluted what with their new immigration law, it is inevitable.) What do you think Japan would say to the idea of making such a DNA bank? Perhaps for medical and genomic studies. For historic ones, too. Maybe it is already being done?

I am not talking about open databases for criminologists to dip into, it is a totally different approach. I am thinking of keeping the DNA of the generation that is soon not to be there.

 

[Sor Juana]

I came across this video about the Toyoake murder and felt compelled to share it with you. I hope I'm not posting it in the wrong place. Although it's a different case, it could be interesting to draw parallels with the Miyazawa family murder and, possibly, gain insights from it. It's worth noting that the two murders occurred relatively close in time, just four years apart.

 

[Eliver]

Thank you for the excellent write up Nic, as always. I also discovered this case through Rhetorica's video.

Unfortunately I have nothing to add on this if not that I live in Nagoya and I see the posters of the suspect every day when I pass next to the koban on my way to work and to say that it is eerie it's to put it lightly.

At some point I definitely would like to retrace the supposed escape route on foot since it's not that far. I would like to add more info if I notice anything.

I wonder how Kohei must feel knowing he potentially saw all the events unfold before his eyes but that he was just too young to remember.

Truly an heartbreaking case.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Huge:

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20251031_28/

 

[dotr]

Huge:

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20251031_28/

Awesome, from link..
rbbm
''Yasufuku Kumiko from Nagoya, central Japan, was arrested on Friday after turning herself in the day before to a police station where the case's investigation headquarters is located.

She is accused of killing Takaba Namiko, then 32, in an apartment in the city in November 1999 by stabbing her multiple times.''
''They said DNA extracted from blood left at the murder scene matched that of the suspect.''

 

[FacelessPodcast]

A little more detail here:

Woman arrested for murdering wife of ex-schoolmate 26 years ago

Arrested individual is Mr. Takaba's former schoolmate.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

This Yahoo article won't work in the EU / UK but:

「意外すぎて実感がわかない…」容疑者は高校時代の同級生　1999年の主婦殺害事件、夫が驚きを語る（メ〜テレ（名古屋テレビ）） - Yahoo!ニュース

 

[Gators North]

So she was hiding in plain sight all this time!

 

[dotr]

This Yahoo article won't work in the EU / UK but:

「意外すぎて実感がわかない…」容疑者は高校時代の同級生　1999年の主婦殺害事件、夫が驚きを語る（メ〜テレ（名古屋テレビ）） - Yahoo!ニュース

Google translated.

"I got Valentine's chocolate in high school."​

A portrait of the criminal made by the Aichi Prefectural Police (left at the time of occurrence, right at present)
Satoru was told to come immediately from the Aichi Prefectural Police West Station, where the investigation headquarters is located, around 0:30 p.m. on the 31st.Feeling an extraordinary atmosphere, he changed his schedule and visited the station around 2 p.m., and was told that the suspect would be arrested."As soon as I got seated, (the investigator) tearfully said, 'I'm sorry to keep you waiting for 26 years, I was able to identify the suspect.'"The investigator said, "I know someone. Don't you remember?" When Satoru asked, "(Soft) tennis club?", he replied, "Yes." When Satoru mentioned the name of the suspect Kumiko Yasufuku (69), who was arrested on this day, he was told that he was "right".Satoru said that when he was in high school, he had received chocolates and letters from the suspect Anfuku on Valentine's Day, and he thought of it.''

 

[Charlot123]

So she was hiding in plain sight all this time!

All this after a guy has been married, divorced, remarried, had a kid, who would think of a schoolmate? So odd. A quiet person, probably living in own, half-imaginary world.

 

[Gators North]

Google translated.

"I got Valentine's chocolate in high school."​

A portrait of the criminal made by the Aichi Prefectural Police (left at the time of occurrence, right at present)
Satoru was told to come immediately from the Aichi Prefectural Police West Station, where the investigation headquarters is located, around 0:30 p.m. on the 31st.Feeling an extraordinary atmosphere, he changed his schedule and visited the station around 2 p.m., and was told that the suspect would be arrested."As soon as I got seated, (the investigator) tearfully said, 'I'm sorry to keep you waiting for 26 years, I was able to identify the suspect.'"The investigator said, "I know someone. Don't you remember?" When Satoru asked, "(Soft) tennis club?", he replied, "Yes." When Satoru mentioned the name of the suspect Kumiko Yasufuku (69), who was arrested on this day, he was told that he was "right".Satoru said that when he was in high school, he had received chocolates and letters from the suspect Anfuku on Valentine's Day, and he thought of it.''

MOO, but what are the odds that Satoru mentioned the suspect immediately. I sort of wonder if the suspect has tried to keep in touch with Satoru and he rejected her.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

My Japanese friend told me that a documentary about this case was about to air on national tv — possibly the suspect felt cornered or like her hand was forced. JMO.

Re: the police, questions are going to be asked here. They knew the killer was a woman and he described this individual as giving him chocolates on Valentine’s Day. At least from the outside, that doesn’t seem to require Poirot levels of detection…

 

[Charlot123]

MOO, but what are the odds that Satoru mentioned the suspect immediately. I sort of wonder if the suspect has tried to keep in touch with Satoru and he rejected her.

However, there was a mock portrait of the murderer. Perhaps there was some resemblance? It is hard to process or even understand who could have secret crush on you in school, you know.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

However, there was a mock portrait of the murderer. Perhaps there was some resemblance? It is hard to process or even understand who could have secret crush on you in school, you know.

Chocolates on Valentines Day seems to be a fairly textbook indicator though, surely…

 

[Incoherent]

Fantastic news for the family obviously.

But in the Yahoo JP article Satoru says that he met the suspect at an alumni tennis reunion in 1998, just a year before the murder happened. How could this have been missed for so long?

 

[Maat99]

I am thinking that the perpetrator could be secretly obsessed with Mr. Tabaka, given that the woman, age-wise, would probably be in between the husband and the wife.

He is a loyal man, a good husband and father. All his life demonstrates his dedication to the wife. This, paradoxically, could have been enough of a reason. Decent and loyal men are incredibly attractive to women; far from everyone falls for "bad boys".

He could have not recognized the killer on the composite because was not directly from his circle, a younger sister of a schoolmate, for example?

She could have been following him, then, Namiko and child, then decided that as a widower with a kid, he could eventually think of remarrying and become approachable.

I wonder if she was on the periphery of Mr. Tabaka's life, maybe they had the same hobby that Ms. Tabaka didn't share? She was not in his view, but could move in easily enough.

Another issue about the recognition, how reliable is Mr. Tabaka's facial memory? His son must have a good one, but did he inherit it from mom, or from dad?

I wouldn't be surprised if the killer had the plan to approach Mr. Tabaka later. But, he appeared too devoted a husband and a father, even after his wife died. It is also possible that the woman got the wind of the composite sketch, or simply, she got sick/started drinking more, and just went downhill from there?

About "the lady from the store", much depends on whether she worked there or was another customer that Namiko came across. Someone advertising services, who left her business card with Namiko?

You pretty much nailed it back in March of 2024 Charlot123!!

 

[Eliver]

At this point I'm also wondering how far off is the police sketch from the actual person since Satoru never seem to have recalled her face before.

In any case, this news is huge and the Takaba family finally gets the closure and justice they deserve.

Rest in peace, Namiko Takaba.

 

[Charlot123]

Chocolates on Valentines Day seems to be a fairly textbook indicator though, surely…

Yes, but IMHO: if you (especially being a man) are not interested in a woman at all, then your memory tags it as “unimportant”. Chocolate for Valentine is not that much here; I don’t know it was a shockingly big thing in Japan of 1998, or not at all.

BTW, just for clarity: do you happen to know when did Mr. Takaba get officially divorced, had a kid with Ms. Namiko, and remarried? I was under the impression that certain things overlapped?

Could there be a feeling in the killer’s mind that Ms. Takaba was “free” and she got hopeful and later felt that “another woman snatched him from her”, not knowing that Mr. Takaba’s first divorce was to marry Namiko? Or did the murderer understand it all, knew that Mr. Takaba was very much in love with his beautiful wife and was just insanely, hopelessly, sickly jealous?

 

[Eliver]

BTW, just for clarity: do you happen to know when did Mr. Takaba get officially divorced, had a kid with Ms. Namiko, and remarried? I was under the impression that certain things overlapped?

Where is this info from?
To my knowledge Satoru Takaba was ever only married to Namiko, has never divorced nor remarried.

 

[Incoherent]

Some updates slowly coming in from the news here in Japan about the suspect Kumiko Yasufuku.

- The suspect went to the same high school, played on the same tennis team, and gave valentine’s chocolate and letters to Satoru Takaba during that time
- Mr. Takaba met the suspect at an alumni tennis reunion in 1998, just a year before the murder, where they both had a conversation and learned the other was married
- The suspect currently lives 13km away from the Takaba’s old apartment in the same city with her family in a house
- The police have questioned the suspect several times this year over the case and requested a DNA sample on a voluntary basis, but the requests were refused
- The suspect has been described by neighbours as kind, docile, and friendly
- The suspect walked into a police station in western Nagoya herself on Thursday 10/30 and admitted she was the one who killed Namiko Takaba. Her DNA was matched with the bloodstains left on the Takaba apartment’s entrance floor
- There is currently an NHK special on unresolved cases in Japan that was due to broadcast the covering of this particular case today Nov 1st 2025
- Currently no motive has been given and further information is being slowly drip-fed throughout the day as it is being learned

Sources: 1 2