crime

49-year-old man, socially withdrawn for 40 years, arrested for abandoning mother’s corpse

21 Comments

A 49-year-old unemployed man has been arrested on charges of corpse abandonment after his mother’s body was found at their home in Yokohama. The suspect, who is reportedly unable to talk with strangers, has been a hikikomori (social recluse) for approximately 40 years and is communicating in writing during the police investigation.

According to police, Masaru Nakamoto is accused of abandoning the body of his 76-year-old mother, who died of an illness, at their home in Kanazawa Ward in mid-October, Fuji TV reported. He told police he found his mother's body in the kitchen and moved it to her bedroom.

The incident came to light after Nakamoto’s sister visited their home and discovered their mother’s body. Police said Nakamoto told them: “I assumed my younger sister would come at some point and resolve the situation.”

One neighbor said, “I’ve never talked with Nakamoto. In fact, I never knew Mrs Nakamoto even had a son. But recently, I noticed that she wasn’t around.”

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21 Comments
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One neighbor said, “I’ve never talked with Nakamoto. In fact, I never knew Mrs Nakamoto even had a son. But recently, I noticed that she wasn’t around.”

He had an elderly neighbour, apparently living alone, and he notices that she isn't around. Did he think she was resting?

With regards the criminal case, how did Nakamoto abandon the body? He was with it all the time.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

The suspect, who is reportedly unable to talk with strangers, has been a hikikomori (social recluse) for approximately 40 years

Man! There are sure a lot of hermits in this country. Pretty sad. We know a neighbor who is definitely one. We've been living in our neighborhood for at least 10 years, and didn't know a whole family was living next door until apparently their grandmother moved in to be cared for. Before that, we only saw a mom coming out to apparently go to work and for groceries.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

With regards the criminal case, how did Nakamoto abandon the body? He was with it all the time.

When a person dies outside of a hospital it is required that the police be notified and then proper burial or cremation of the body.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This guy has been in isolation since he was 10, he is unable to talk with strangers and they still found him criminally liable?

8 ( +11 / -3 )

This guy has been in isolation since he was 10, he is unable to talk with strangers and they still found him criminally liable?

Actually no, he is being held for questioning, and because he was charged, it gives the police an opportunity to investigate the case . From the article alone there is ZERO doubt that he is mentally ill, and calling him criminally liable is far too soon in this case.

While I highly doubt we will get any follow up on the disposition of the case, you can bet that he will be spending time in a special ward in a hospital and hopefully getting the treatment he direly needs!

5 ( +7 / -2 )

All Hikikomori should be forced into the military, to turn out to be real men. In South Korea, all men are all enroled in the military, it is compulsary there. It should be compulsary here too.

-13 ( +5 / -18 )

This guy sounds like he has more going on than just being a hikikomori.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

has been a hikikomori (social recluse) for approximately 40 years

No! Has been mentally ill for 40 years and has never received any treatment for his mental illness in that time.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

All Hikikomori should be forced into the military, to turn out to be real men. In South Korea, all men are all enroled in the military, it is compulsary there. It should be compulsary here too.

You have zero idea what it takes to go into the military ZERO, and the last thing anyone, anywhere, wants is a gun-toting guy with mental problems.

Think about that.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

He didn't abandon it, he kept it...

Not under Japanese law.

The word in Japanese does not have a one-for-one meaning with the English word. Don't get hung up on it - Japanese and English don't have a common root and therefore often words don't mean exactly the same thing in each language. This is the word that is used in the English translation of the law that is provided by the Japanese government, and that is why the word is used.

It's not worth getting hung up on - such will happen when words don't have the exact same meaning in each language.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

“All Hikikomori should be forced into the military, to turn out to be real men. In South Korea, all men are all enroled in the military, it is compulsary there. It should be compulsary here too.”

Tell that to the ghost of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, who likened encouraging Japan’s thankfully dormant martial spirit to giving liqueur chocolates to an alcoholic," Mr. Lee said. "Whatever they do, they go to its limits."

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Sounds autistic to me. Poor bloke.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Mentally ill, but had no treatment, I'd hazard a guess he's never had a diagnosis.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

This is a massive problem in Japan - parents have been left to be the sole caregivers of their children when those children are unable to care for themselves. The children grow up, become adults, reach middle age, the parents grow old, elderly, infirm... and then what? It must be an awful fear for the parent - what will happen to my child when I die? Their worst fear must be that after their death, their child will probably

be spending time in a special ward in a hospital 

an environment which their child will not be at all suited to.

I was thinking about it the other week after a case where the ageing, ailing parent killed the adult child.

I know it is wrong, and I know that in an ideal world this would not happen, but still, I can understand why parents, having to accept that they will soon die, decide that killing the child they have spent their whole lives taking care of, is kinder than leaving them to the welfare folks.

. . . Soz, off-topic.

Anyway, I hope this man is taken good care of, though not by his sister, clearly.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Police said Nakamoto told them: “I assumed my younger sister would come at some point and resolve the situation.”

This guy is the worst excuse for a son. He's 49 years old, unemployed all of his life, had his mother take care of him until her death (went grocery shopping, cooked, fed, clothed him), and after she died he just moved her body out of his way as if her body was trash and waited for someone else to come and handle the situation? What a pity for this hard working mother. May she rest in peace.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

This guy is the worst excuse for a son. He's 49 years old, unemployed all of his life, had his mother take care of him until her death (went grocery shopping, cooked, fed, clothed him), and after she died he just moved her body out of his way as if her body was trash and waited for someone else to come and handle the situation?

Did you not read the story? This guy does not sound like he is mentally all there. You seem to be expecting a person who would appear to have mental problems, to be able think like a normal rational person would. You may as well expect a child to run a government.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

All Hikikomori should be forced into the military, to turn out to be real men. In South Korea, all men are all enroled in the military, it is compulsory there. It should be compulsory here too.

I take it you have done your stint in the SDF then, or are you going to give some excuse for not volunteering?

Anyway, conscription is illegal in Japan so the government couldn't do it even if they wanted to (and I believe Abe wants to).

3 ( +3 / -0 )

You have zero idea what it takes to go into the military ZERO, and the last thing anyone, anywhere, wants is a gun-toting guy with mental problems.

Thank you for this reply. Too many people are rather cavalier when it comes to the military.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Seriously, giving mentally ill people guns?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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