Police on Friday morning arrested an 18-year-old man for killing his friend's mother by beating and stabbing her at her house in Kumano City, Mie Prefecture. The suspect, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was arrested for allegedly killing his 19-year-old friend's mother Shuko Watanabe, 47, and stealing 100,000 yen around 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The victim's daughter, 22, found her around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
According to police, the man is a friend of the victim's 19-year-old daughter and used to visit them often. The two have been together since Monday but she didn't know her mother was dead, police said. They were found driving the victim's car in Aichi Prefecture.
The suspect was quoted by police as saying, “I killed her because I wanted money.”
© Japan Today
27 Comments
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Dennis Bauer
“I killed her because I wanted money.” a perfectly normal reason to kill your friends mother. The japanese system does a good job deleting their populations conscience
KyouNoNippon
Jeeze if you are gonna do it at least do it to your own!
WilliB
Speechless.
RMGTTF
What kind of daughter is that.. wouldn't be surprised if she was involved
chimu
They should change the laws and make it legal to name and shame so called minors. I say plaster photos and names of him and his family.
I wonder if the girl is still gonna be friends with him. Wouldn't surprise me if she did.
Sick person. Get a job if you want money.
hennagaijin005
"Sick person. Get a job if you want money."
I agree. Lazy kids today have a "entitlement" mentality, in that they think everything should be handed to them for no reason other than they are the most important thing in the world. Get over yourself brat, be productive, stop being a lazy shiftless mooch. Seriously, these kids should have their face plastered all over Japanese news...we'll see how much they enjoy dragging their families down with them. Perhaps kids would think twice before doing something so stupid.
pathat
Whatever happened to "safety" Japan?
Youdontknow
I need money too...should I kill my wife's mother for it or go get a job? Hmmm....let me think....I'll take the job please Bob!
RMGTTF
Ummmm.... wife's mother uh?.... Why do you have to make the choice so difficult!!.. Nah, just kidding
seimei
Whenever something sad like this happens everyone screams "We have to do something" but of course, nothing ever happens.
Is there anything we can actually do? Obviously the death penalty isn't a deterrent (Akihabara).
If the government wants to actually do something, perhaps we start with schools and parental advice.
I remember when I was about 12, my great aunt said to me, "a real young man would open the door for a lady" and you know, small things like that. Those pieces of life advice from your elders really shape you.
Sadly I'm yet to hear a Japanese person admonish their sibling. Oh you hear them get mad etc, but I would like, just once for a parent to EXPLAIN to a child what they did wrong. Violent reactions without understanding the cause sadly leads to events like this.
Spidey
"Police on Friday morning arrested an 18-year-old man for killing his friend’s mother by beating and stabbing her at her house in Kumano City, Mie Prefecture. The suspect, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was arrested..."
So is he a "man" or a "minor!?"
I thought the cut off date for being a minor was 18! Am I wrong?
S
lipscombe
this country is really going to the dogs. dont give me all the "these crimes happen in every country " line either. I know that. the point is they didnt happen on a daily basis in Japan until fairly recently. why? I dont know
KyouNoNippon
20 spidey.
omarbabilon
Ok. I wanted money and i killed, i was tired about my life and i killed. This is the way that japanese society gives value to be alive. Always if you ask any japanese about do something that would bother another person, always they say they preffer avoid to bother the others, but i ask myself... do they this because they respect the others or only because is a social rule?. Do they really understand that life is only one and nobody has right to take it?. Do the stupid manga "artists"(?) something to give any possitive value in their books?. No, to kill somebody in this sick society is the most normal thing, almost normal like go to a combini and buy candies. Nobody do anything to change it?. You are reading this... do you like my point of view?. No?. Ok, if i were japanese probably i would kill you, and later will say i did because you dont think same way than me (and as i think all japanese think in the same way, is ok if any other kill you).
Hughgarse
what do they teach kids in school these days in Japan?
Youdontknow
RMGTIF:
ROTFLMFAO!! Easy choice to make because I get on better with my wife's mother than I do with my wife! :-P
moonbeams
i don't understand why people say "whatever happened to safety Japan?"
stories like this are so so common that they usually make local news, not national news like it does in Japan. (Mod, please, spare me this time)
That said, there is a problem with today's youth becoming self centered. There seems to be a lack of empathy among teens (I work with many troubled teens).
moonbeams
this is nonsense.
jeancolmar
All this proves is that most criminals are stupid.
Everton2
chimu- His family had nothing to do with the crime so why shame them.
Eizenhauer
There kinds of crimes are increasing dramatically. Son kills mother, son kills father,... The main problem is in upbringing of these kids who are being brought up in a wrong way by parents who know very little about parenting skills. Kids are allowed to grow with this idea that everything must be given to them. Yes, served on a plate! Recently i saw a child running in the supermarket and wildly pushing shopping cart and knocking lots of items off the aisles. Mother is softly telling the boy to stop if possible!! The boy carelessly continues knocking stuff down, mother then approaches the child and gently tells him its not so nice thing to do... If he was my son he'd be dealt with the old way and never even think of doing the same thing again. The whole society in Japan is going down the drain. Seen these kind of scenarios a bit too often. How often do you see a kid give a seat to elderly people on the train? Mannerless parents who bring up mannerless children without any restrictions in their youth... yuck!
pandachan
Maybe the reason the government doesn't even seem to be trying is because they think it'll help control the population. You know, a few people get killed here, a few commit suicide there...
Saicook
well,in other countries, crimes like these are hidden from the general public (newspaper),as examples : here, in a 50,000 population town ,the last two months there was many incidents: a 20 years-old man killed his father ,a 13 years-old kid killed his friend with a kitchen knife...and three others i don't remember the details.plus,three suicides cases. none of these were reported or anything (except for the 13 years-old kid's case).hiding these crimes,casualities's real numbers, makes my town and country a peaceful place.while, in japan, where everything is reported, and crime cases are less than other countries (USA?!),is looked as an unpeacefull place. btw: generally agree with Eizenhauer and almost everyone.
Molenir
Talk about a sick bastard. Kill your friends mom, and then still hang out with your friend, acting like nothings wrong. This guy deserves the noose, won't get it of course what with him being 18 and still a "minor". Probably be lucky to get 7 years for this monstrous behavior.
HonestDictator
That 20 year old garbage needs to be tossed out. Make your 18 year olds legally responsible as adults Japan, that way you can still give them the finger when they commit crimes like this. I mean, in the US people are seen as adults in the legal system at 18, but still are not allowed to drink until 21. This guy is no minor and needs to be penalized as such.
Kijimuna
Without knowing a lot about the facts, I for one doubt that the victim's daughter found with him didn't know.
hennagaijin005
If kids had more to lose than just a measly seven years, such as their family honor, perhaps they would think twice before doing something so callus and cold Everton. Family honor means something to the JNs. Kijimuna, I agree, no way she didn't know something.