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

[Incoherent]

To add to this, there was also that beverage on the table that Satoru has always been adamant was not from the house.
I believe the suspect either made some excuse and introduced herself as her husband's acquaintance (even mentioning the high schools years perhaps?) or they did meet at a convenience store and had some kind of interaction (maybe she was a clerk?), not to the point of being worth mentioning but enough to make Namiko feel at ease with her.

I'm sure by now the police must know all these details and if they decide to share them it will only be a matter of time.

Right, the lactic acid drink for adults like Yakult. It was reported to be left on the table but also spilled in the entrance too. It was also traced back to being sold in what was Nishi-Mikawa back in ‘99 but is now present day eastern Aichi prefecture cities, away from the Takaba apartment but closer to the suspect’s house.

If the suspect had zero interaction with Namiko previously it must have been a convincing story to be let inside and left alone with her sick baby. But not impossible I suppose.

I believe it’s likely the police now know all, too. Whether the details will be released is another issue.

 

[Charlot123]

These are the same questions I have too.

If the two were not acquainted and had not met previously, according to Satoru, then why did Namiko let her into the apartment when she was alone with her baby, who was also sick with a fever at the time, if she was as cautious as reported? What could the suspect have said to convince her to let a stranger in?
It was reported Namiko was stabbed in the neck from behind at the washroom sink area, meaning she also felt comfortable enough to leave the suspect alone with baby Kohei? Very odd. I’m hoping we get an answer for this.
The alternative is that the suspect somehow snuck in and surprised Namiko or barged her way inside the door, I suppose.

RSBM.

The way that Saturday morning went, according to memories. Satoru went to work. (Namiko friend’s husband was still sleeping, for example, so he must have left early). Satoru called from work and Namiko said that she took Kohei to the doctor and planned to take him to a library (meaning that his illness was not severe or getting better). So they discussed what was valid. And then Satoru is back to work again. And Namiko is taking care of Kohei when the assailant comes.
So I think that either she never told Satoru about her meetings with the "woman" because he was working a lot, or maybe in his head, his family, child, MIL’s moving in, job are all important, and random things, not so much.

I also wonder if Yasufuku was stalking the family. Where the blood disappeared, in front of some house, Yasufuko could have left her car. Could the route to the apartment house be habitual for her?

 

[espirtu pampa]

@Charlot123
Maybe Namiko opened her door to go to the library and there stood Yasufuku. But it doesn't explain how her son was in his high chair.

 

[Richardrli]

Well at least now there is some closure for the Takaba family. My personal "curated" list of three cold cases of Japan from that era is this case, the Miyazawa family (obviously!) and the 1995 Hachioji supermarket murders of the three women. Now speaking from hindsight, of these three cases the Namiko Takaba murder is by some measure the most likely to be solved sooner or later, as the perp was long suspected to have been a woman known to associates of the victim and that perp was seen leaving the crime scene with visible blood on her hands/wrists.

The Miyazawa perp is in all likelihood a person who have since left Japan and the Hachioji market perp is also most likely a foreign national who is currently not in Japan. For these reasons alone (of course there are many more) these two cases are a much tougher nut to crack.

 

[dotr]

Nov 1, 2025

 

[Eliver]

While the case is still dominating the news in Japan, not much as come out today, however a series of media outlets have released some small details:

容疑者、被害者夫宅近くで暮らす　名古屋主婦殺害（共同通信） - Yahoo!ニュース

1999年に名古屋市西区の高羽奈美子さん＝当時（32）＝を殺害した疑いで逮捕された同市港区のアルバイト安福久美子容疑者（69）は、高羽さんの夫悟さん（69）が事件後に転居した自宅の近くで長年暮らし

news.yahoo.co.jp

「父の執念が生んだ逮捕」名古屋・主婦殺害事件 当時2歳で居合わせた長男が心境語る　安福久美子容疑者(69)の犯行動機調べる（TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN） - Yahoo!ニュース

名古屋市西区で26年前に主婦の女性を殺害した疑いで69歳の女が逮捕された事件で、当時2歳で現場に居合わせた女性の長男が心境を語りました。 きょう午前、名古屋市内の寺を訪れたのは、26年前に殺害され

news.yahoo.co.jp

夫、子とマンション生活、PTA役員務める「いい人」　名古屋市主婦殺害事件で逮捕の容疑者：中日新聞Web

名古屋市西区のアパートで1999年に住人の主婦、高羽奈美子さん＝当時（32）＝が殺害された事件で、逮捕された安福久美子容疑者（69）は...

www.chunichi.co.jp

- The suspect Yasufuku Kumiko had reportedly been working for an unspecified "local children's association" and was described as a very tame and reserved person.
- Yasufuku Kumiko doesn't seem to have any notable marks of a wound on her hand. This could mean that said wound wasn't probably that deep or that time simply healed it completely.
- At the time of the murder, and for 10 years after the murder, the woman was apparently living about a 10 minutes drive from Takaba's house.
- Aichi police has inspected the Yasufuku family house and they have been seen taking boxes out with them (seemingly with evidence).

Also, Kouhei has spoken to the journalists saying he was informed of the news while at work and since it was difficult to get in touch with the father due to how hectic things have been the past few days, he has continued to follow updates through the media (again, media are talking about this non-stop since Saturday).
Then he went to Nagoya to attend an anniversary ceremony for his mother and also thanked the father for never giving up.

Satoru has shared that he had been feeling a sense of guilt because the culprit was somehow connected to him and that he felt somewhat responsible for Namiko's death.
Kohei was very supportive of his father and said that "he should not feel guilty of anything" and that it was also thanks to him that this case was finally solved.

This is a summary of different sources and there are still many unclear things.

I live in Nagoya and have been following all the updates as they come but it's difficult to keep up with everything and also distinguish new information from already known one since the news outlets are repeating the whole story, every time, at any time of day.

 

[Charlot123]

Well at least now there is some closure for the Takaba family. My personal "curated" list of three cold cases of Japan from that era is this case, the Miyazawa family (obviously!) and the 1995 Hachioji supermarket murders of the three women. Now speaking from hindsight, of these three cases the Namiko Takaba murder is by some measure the most likely to be solved sooner or later, as the perp was long suspected to have been a woman known to associates of the victim and that perp was seen leaving the crime scene with visible blood on her hands/wrists.

The Miyazawa perp is in all likelihood a person who have since left Japan and the Hachioji market perp is also most likely a foreign national who is currently not in Japan. For these reasons alone (of course there are many more) these two cases are a much tougher nut to crack.

Thank you for mentioning the Hachioji market case.
The Miyazawa case has DNA. Japanese current laws or not, alive or not, we'll know the name, sooner or later.
JMO - we probably should stop discussing the "motive" in most criminal cases. What Yasufuku Kimiko might explain as "the motive" might be interesting for psychiatry, but not accepted by most of us as a valid reason to kill another human being.

 

[bluestsocks]

Thank you for mentioning the Hachioji market case.
The Miyazawa case has DNA. Japanese current laws or not, alive or not, we'll know the name, sooner or later.
JMO - we probably should stop discussing the "motive" in most criminal cases. What Yasufuku Kimiko might explain as "the motive" might be interesting for psychiatry, but not accepted by most of us as a valid reason to kill another human being.

Motives are rarely valid reasons to kill someone. I think we discuss them in an effort to understand, but also because it can very often lead to the perpetrator.

 

[Charlot123]

While the case is still dominating the news in Japan, not much as come out today, however a series of media outlets have released some small details:

容疑者、被害者夫宅近くで暮らす　名古屋主婦殺害（共同通信） - Yahoo!ニュース

1999年に名古屋市西区の高羽奈美子さん＝当時（32）＝を殺害した疑いで逮捕された同市港区のアルバイト安福久美子容疑者（69）は、高羽さんの夫悟さん（69）が事件後に転居した自宅の近くで長年暮らし

news.yahoo.co.jp

「父の執念が生んだ逮捕」名古屋・主婦殺害事件 当時2歳で居合わせた長男が心境語る　安福久美子容疑者(69)の犯行動機調べる（TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN） - Yahoo!ニュース

名古屋市西区で26年前に主婦の女性を殺害した疑いで69歳の女が逮捕された事件で、当時2歳で現場に居合わせた女性の長男が心境を語りました。 きょう午前、名古屋市内の寺を訪れたのは、26年前に殺害され

news.yahoo.co.jp

夫、子とマンション生活、PTA役員務める「いい人」　名古屋市主婦殺害事件で逮捕の容疑者：中日新聞Web

名古屋市西区のアパートで1999年に住人の主婦、高羽奈美子さん＝当時（32）＝が殺害された事件で、逮捕された安福久美子容疑者（69）は...

www.chunichi.co.jp

- The suspect Yasufuku Kumiko had reportedly been working for an unspecified "local children's association" and was described as a very tame and reserved person.
- Yasufuku Kumiko doesn't seem to have any notable marks of a wound on her hand. This could mean that said wound wasn't probably that deep or that time simply healed it completely.
- At the time of the murder, and for 10 years after the murder, the woman was apparently living about a 10 minutes drive from Takaba's house.
- Aichi police has inspected the Yasufuku family house and they have been seen taking boxes out with them (seemingly with evidence).

Also, Kouhei has spoken to the journalists saying he was informed of the news while at work and since it was difficult to get in touch with the father due to how hectic things have been the past few days, he has continued to follow updates through the media (again, media are talking about this non-stop since Saturday).
Then he went to Nagoya to attend an anniversary ceremony for his mother and also thanked the father for never giving up.

Satoru has shared that he had been feeling a sense of guilt because the culprit was somehow connected to him and that he felt somewhat responsible for Namiko's death.
Kohei was very supportive of his father and said that "he should not feel guilty of anything" and that it was also thanks to him that this case was finally solved.

This is a summary of different sources and there are still many unclear things.

I live in Nagoya and have been following all the updates as they come but it's difficult to keep up with everything and also distinguish new information from already known one since the news outlets are repeating the whole story, every time, at any time of day.

One wonders if the wound was higher on the arm. I suspect that Namiko was fighting for her life and that Yasufuku Kumiko was not adept at killing.

Or the most likely scenario for the blood loss and no scar: it could have been a deep puncture wound of a tiny finger artery. Then the initial blood loss is measurable because of the pressure in the artery (that also washes away the clot) but it finally stops when the clot forms. It takes a while for the clot to form and indeed, pressing a gauze or some cloth against the wound would be the best way to deal with it, but once it heals, the scar is impossible to see. A puncture of the communicating artery on the finger would do it. I wonder if it happened to her. The blood loss is never deadly in these cases not even close to it, but it is measurable. However, the person will be totally fine to work the next day. And - it would probably look more like a manicure wound than a “battleground” one. She could easily explain it to her family.

Thinking that the killer of the Miyazawa family can also have a very tiny scar or none at all if it was a similar wound.

Wrist Hand Anatomy

Resources: training courses, musculoskeletal pathologies, methods of impairment assessment by a team of orthopaedic surgeons, radiologists, physiotherapists

anatomy.lexmedicus.com.au

There is a scheme of blood supply to the hand - I am talking about the tips of proper palmar digital arteries, close to the tips of the finger, possibly, a thumb. If anyone says it can’t happen, happy to personally witness, it happened to my big toe, and not in a “battle”, of course. It takes two hours for the blood to stop, per memory, but today, I don’t even remember if it was right or left toe. Yasufuku did not even risk infection as it was hand, but she had to tightly press something against her wound - it would be interesting to ask the witnesses if she was holding the cloth against her hand or arm.

From the articles I understood that for 10 years, the murder was living 10 minutes drive from Takaba’s parents home. After the murder, Mr. Takaba preserved the scene of crime but himself with his son, moved to his parents. Their house happened to be in the same ward where Yasufuku lived (starts with M, I forgot the name as it was in a Japanese newspaper and there are two M wards in Nagoya). The ward where he and Namiko lived started with A.

So not that Yasufuku Kumiko lived in 10 minutes drive from Namiko. After the murder she ended up in 10 minutes drive from Satoru. Did she quietly stalk him? Hopefully, we’ll find out.

I watched the interview of Kohei. He grew up into a handsome young man, an interesting mixture of his father’s and mother’s traits. It is a blessing that he doesn’t remember anything and yet, feels the duty towards his mother. It is good that he said it was not his father’s fault. I guess his father needs to hear it. It is also very good that he uttered words of hope to other relatives of the victims. If I understood correctly, he said that as time goes by, it is harder to resolve the cases, but perhaps his mother’s murder being solved 26 years after it happened should convey hope for other families of murdered victims.

Sad. It would have never been resolved if it were not for Mr. Satoru. Also, owing to his work the statute of limitations for such crimes in Japan was removed.

 

[Charlot123]

Motives are rarely valid reasons to kill someone. I think we discuss them in an effort to understand, but also because it can very often lead to the perpetrator.

I don’t think this motive was enough to kill, but here is my explanation of “why” to myself.

To me, the story might remember an old
song. The plot: an innkeeper secretly falls in love with a man and his smile, and when he goes away for a day, she looks at his trench coat that’s hanging on the wall; and when he moves out, she looks at the nail that he used to hung the trench coat on; and when the nail is removed, she looks at the trace of the nail, and when they renovate the inn and paint over the trace, she remembers that “she saw the trace yesterday.”

Doesn’t it feel the same? Yasufuku is in the same class with Satoru and on the softball team; she gives him chocolates and letters, and her love is unrequited but she still can see him; and after school, she doesn’t see him often but attends matches of his university team; and then he is married and she is too and has a child, so for her, it is probably enough that they live in the same town. And maybe for her, living close to the old school is symbolic (did she? When he moved with his parents, they ended in the same ward, so possibly their old school was there, too).

And then suddenly, she, used to feeding her memories with tiny “symbols”, goes to the reunion (I assume, 25 years later? Satoru said 24 years after he last saw her), and sees the real person, and talks to him. It is like going to a Roman feast after years of chicken broth. I think she was flooded and that set in motions something that she didn’t initially realize, and then it got darker. But: the evidence of premeditation of the murder is there, so that she has to explain.

My guesses are: a) she thought she could be another wife, or, b) even stranger, but she removed the woman who prevented her from looking at Satoru without any distractions.

Either way, Satoru can’t hold himself guilty for the existence of a person who is prone to symbolic deifying of a random classmate. No more than he can blame his parents for sending him to that school, or his friends who advised him to try softball, or whoever sent her the invitation to the reunion.

 

[Incoherent]

Yahoo News reports the prefectural police confirmed with the suspect during the visit yesterday that she broke into the Takaba apartment and fought with Namiko in the entrance, where she injured her hand.

The language used in the report says she was not invited inside the apartment but either pushed her way in or broke in and then began attacking immediately.

 

[Eliver]

Yahoo News reports the prefectural police confirmed with the suspect during the visit yesterday that she broke into the Takaba apartment and fought with Namiko in the entrance, where she injured her hand.

The language used in the report says she was not invited inside the apartment but either pushed her way in or broke in and then began attacking immediately.

Interesting.
I guess it's possible that Namiko forgot to lock the door since she was so busy that morning?

I also wonder if she fled to the bathroom since there were signs the attack started there at first.
Let's see what other details come out.

 

[Incoherent]

Interesting.
I guess it's possible that Namiko forgot to lock the door since she was so busy that morning?

I also wonder if she fled to the bathroom since there were signs the attack started there at first.
Let's see what other details come out.

Potentially, but since she fought with Namiko in the entrance I’m leaning towards that she answered the door and then the suspect pushed her way inside and began to scuffle, resulting in Namiko running towards the bathroom area where the stabbing started. JMO.

Either way I’m glad these small details are being reported to gain further understanding of what happened that day.

 

[Melquiades]

Given the pathology of the killer, it’s surprising that she never reached out to the victim’s husband afterward to try to further establish a relationship.

Perhaps this is because the killing was so botched and she worried she’d be recognized but it’s still interesting.

 

[Incoherent]

FNN reports that Satoru has said the suspect followed him at his university and waited for him to come home to speak to him, then they went to a cafe together where the suspect cried. He said it was a very troublesome situation.
It seems the two had more interactions than have been initially reported.

As WS is victim-friendly I’m going to leave the speculation there for now on this angle unless more is reported.

 

[Simply Caustic]

FNN reports that Satoru has said the suspect followed him at his university and waited for him to come home to speak to him, then they went to a cafe together where the suspect cried. He said it was a very troublesome situation.
It seems the two had more interactions than have been initially reported.

As WS is victim-friendly I’m going to leave the speculation there for now on this angle unless more is reported.

I very much appreciate all of you sharing links like this. Translating to English on most articles gives a rough synopsis, so I am able to keep abreast of things (like this latest development.) Many thanks!

 

[Eliver]

容疑者「26年間、毎日不安」「警察が来て覚悟」　名古屋の殺人事件：朝日新聞

名古屋市西区のアパートの一室で1999年、住人の高羽（たかば）奈美子さん（当時32）が殺害された事件で、殺人容疑で逮捕されたアルバイト安福（やすふく）久美子容疑者（69）=同市港区=が、逮捕されるま…

www.asahi.com

The Asahi Shinbun has shared some words allegedly pronounced by the suspect to the police, saying"

"I lived every day with anxiety"

"When they interrogated me, I knew I would be arrested'

"I expected the police to come for 26 years"

"I didn't want to get caught and cause trouble to my family"

"Around the time of the murder I was depressed"

Although she added that she "felt sorry for Namiko", if all of the above statements are to be taken at face value, from a psychogical standpoint there is a huge lack of empathy that one would expect in these cases and also a lack of remorse since it seems like the suspect was mainly worried of not being caught and talking about herself and how she felt.

I'm no psychologist so all of this JMO.
Make of it what you will.

Also, the newspaper said at the time of the arrest, she was working part time at a supermarket as a clerk.

Another source has said her maiden name was "Yamaguchi" but I'm not posting any links because I don't think is reliable and waiting for confirmation from more reliable ones.

 

[Charlot123]

容疑者「26年間、毎日不安」「警察が来て覚悟」　名古屋の殺人事件：朝日新聞

名古屋市西区のアパートの一室で1999年、住人の高羽（たかば）奈美子さん（当時32）が殺害された事件で、殺人容疑で逮捕されたアルバイト安福（やすふく）久美子容疑者（69）=同市港区=が、逮捕されるま…

www.asahi.com

The Asahi Shinbun has shared some words allegedly pronounced by the suspect to the police, saying"

"I lived every day with anxiety"

"When they interrogated me, I knew I would be arrested'

"I expected the police to come for 26 years"

"I didn't want to get caught and cause trouble to my family"

"Around the time of the murder I was depressed"

Although she added that she "felt sorry for Namiko", if all of the above statements are to be taken at face value, from a psychogical standpoint there is a huge lack of empathy that one would expect in these cases and also a lack of remorse since it seems like the suspect was mainly worried of not being caught and talking about herself and how she felt.

I'm no psychologist so all of this JMO.
Make of it what you will.

Also, the newspaper said at the time of the arrest, she was working part time at a supermarket as a clerk.

Another source has said her maiden name was "Yamaguchi" but I'm not posting any links because I don't think is reliable and waiting for confirmation from more reliable ones.

It would be interesting to find out what made the police include her into 5000 people interviewed over the last year. It could have been something either Satoru or one of his friends remembered (in one of the articles, a friend commented on the sketch, saying that it did not resemble Yasufuku who looked “more put together” or something like that.) So perhaps, either Satoru himself or his friends remembered her.

“Depression” isn’t even touching how she felt IMHO. Yes, seems to be pretty lucid, a good planner who stayed under the radar for 26 years and admitted her guilt because she was smart to understand the implications of DNA. A destroyer. ((

She won’t tell her story, IMHO.

 

[Eliver]

名古屋主婦殺害の安福容疑者…部活ＯＢ会で夫と会話し土曜不在を把握、持参した刃物で犯行か

【読売新聞】　名古屋市西区のアパートで１９９９年１１月、 高羽 （ たかば ） 奈美子さん（当時３２歳）が刺殺された事件で、殺人容疑で逮捕された安福久美子容疑者（６９）が、持参した刃物で刺したとみられることが愛知県警への取材でわかっ

www.yomiuri.co.jp

Various sources are reporting that the alumni reunion was not in 1998 (an year prior to the murder), but only 5 months prior (so in June?).

This source reports that Yasufuku Kumiko was there and was eavesdropping on Satoru's conversation with other people where he was talking about his job and the days he was at work.

Not only this could be the way she found out he would not be home, but possibly also the area where he lived?

All speculation for now, but the alumni meeting seems to be the turning point and also what triggered the murderous intent in the first place.

 

[Incoherent]

名古屋主婦殺害の安福容疑者…部活ＯＢ会で夫と会話し土曜不在を把握、持参した刃物で犯行か

【読売新聞】　名古屋市西区のアパートで１９９９年１１月、 高羽 （ たかば ） 奈美子さん（当時３２歳）が刺殺された事件で、殺人容疑で逮捕された安福久美子容疑者（６９）が、持参した刃物で刺したとみられることが愛知県警への取材でわかっ

www.yomiuri.co.jp

Various sources are reporting that the alumni reunion was not in 1998 (an year prior to the murder), but only 5 months prior (so in June?).

This source reports that Yasufuku Kumiko was there and was eavesdropping on Satoru's conversation with other people where he was talking about his job and the days he was at work.

Not only this could be the way she found out he would not be home, but possibly also the area where he lived?

All speculation for now, but the alumni meeting seems to be the turning point and also what triggered the murderous intent in the first place.

Yeah I’m reading this a lot too that the meet was actually only 5 months before the murder. It also states in that article that others at the meet explicitly remember Satoru saying “I’m married” and “I work on Saturdays and Sundays”.

After that all she would need is the address.