The Toyama District Public Prosecutors Office has indicted a 52-year-old man for allegedly raping his teenage daughter at their home in Kurobe City between 2013 and 2016.
According to the indictment, Koji Daimon sexually abused his daughter, Riho Fukuyama, at least eight times while her mother was away, starting around the summer of her second year of junior high school, local media reported. Daimon was arrested earlier this month and indicted on Tuesday.
The defendant has remained silent during the police investigation, prosecutors said.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Riho, now 24, discussed her ordeal and said, “I feel like the hands of the clock are finally starting to move little by little,” adding she hoped that by going public, it might help others who have been sexually assaulted to come forward.
Speaking about her father, she said “I saw no remorse from him and I felt I like I was betrayed. Blood ties are never broken, so it can be painful to be in a situation like this. Now that I've come this far, I want him to be prosecuted and for him to face up to the seriousness of his crimes.”
© Japan Today
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BigP
That put me off my breakfast.
Redemption
Horrible. Such a deviant needs to be removed from society.
owzer
Just to put off any victim blaming, just remember that children can't consent. Their parents can consent on their behalf tho. Wait, what?
zones2surf
There are a few crimes that deserve the death penalty. This one, if proven, is one. Sorry, but capital punishment exists for a reason.
This "father" is no father. Not in the true sense of the word. He was the biological creator of this poor girl, but in every other way, he forfeited the right to be called her father.
CaptDingleheimer
Japan Today editor:
Absolutely ZERO EXCUSE for identifying a rape victim by name. That's Journalism 101 stuff.
What's the matter with you? Smarten up.
Moderator: The woman volunteered to go public and hold a press conference and explains why, if you care to read the story.
Mr Kipling
The victim has given her express consent to be named as she wants remove the stigma from victims.
A very brave young lady.
METinTokyo
Brave woman to go public with this through the media. She chose to identify herself hoping it will encourage others to also come forward. No doubt she is in for an arduous time both in court and the press.
I have nothing but respect for her and hope she succeeds.
If her father is convicted I hope the punishment will fit this heinous crime, no suspended sentences!
TokyoLiving
Rapists must be executed..
wallace
It took a long time for her to be able to speak up about her dreadful experience. Parents are supposed to protect them. Not rape and abuse them. I hope she will be able to have closure and move on.
More than 1,500 incest cases are reported every year. Accurate figures are difficult to find.
wallace
No one should be executed.
Shadows of the Rising Sun
Indeed. It's tragic, and the numbers we see likely don't reflect the true scale of the issue. My heart goes out to all the unheard victims of incest and sexual crimes.
CaptDingleheimer
Fair enough. I stopped reading immediately when I saw the name published because it pissed me off.
bass4funk
I disagree. When you murder or rape a child or anyone, the death penalty should be an option.
wallace
Japan will eventually abolish its death penalty just like the majority of countries.
bass4funk
Not anytime soon.
USNinJapan2
bass4funk
It should never be an option. Between the crime and the justice meted out for it, only one can be unethical.
Lindsay
Was the mother not aware?
WoodyLee
Probably the worst Psychological scar ever, this lady will live all her life remembering these events.
As for her father, he may have been abused himself and so many experts believe that an abused child will inflect the same pain on his own at some point!! or may be not!.
I pray that she find Peace within herself and carry on. Best of luck.
John
It sounds like common problem in japan. I once met a woman who implied having sex with her father from childhood, but she didn’t say it directly. She was behaving like a narcissistic psycho and a sex addict. She must be affected by the childhood events. Everyone doesn’t admit these things easily.
Strangerland
That's ridiculous. It's no more common in Japan than anywhere else. This happens in your country too - I say that with confidence even not knowing what country you are from.
Chabbawanga
Raping your own child. I cant think of anything as inhuman and disgusting.
Jind
Some parents are not parents but instead swines.
The key should be thrown away for this non-descript.
enmaai
wallaceToday 10:02 am JST
No one should be executed.
what if it was your daughter or your grand daughter, you'll be singing a very different tune.
wallace
enmaai
No one should be executed.
It would not change me. I have been an anti-death penalty for over 50 years. I see no need to change. As a Buddhist, I can't condone the killing of another.
Shadows of the Rising Sun
It happens everywhere, of course.
However, in Japan, it's a little more complex and nuanced than most.
It's hard enough to estimate the real numbers of sex crimes in general in Japan (and to a certain extent in other countries) due to the extremely low reporting rates, let alone cases of incest, which are likely to be even more rarely reported for cultural and social reasons.
Think about it, what woman would want to disrupt and potentially destroy her own life, the relationships with her family and community and potentially be ostracised by that of her family and friends group for something that many in Japan would deem as a 'wagama' act.
Shadows of the Rising Sun
Perhaps it was emitted in error.
I have noticed that some commenters on this board are very opposed to any effort to highlight the worrying and very real problem of sexual assault in Japan for reasons I cannot fully comprehend, I can only speculate that it is based in fear. I am not saying that is true for you, Strannger, as I do not know you personally.
I have posted evidence of what I comment on multiple occasions, including research papers, newspaper articles, investigative jouslanims and blogs, but they are almost always dismissed or ignored outright for reasons that are beyond me, except that perhaps they counter your strongly held beliefs about Japan. I think I get that because I used to have similar beliefs when I first arrived in Japan.
There is little point in me debating with anyone who refuses to even consider the possibility that their beliefs, even if a little bit are contrary to reality.
I respect your point of view.
Howeevre, I will leave you, with a report that might at least offer a little insight into what I am talking about:
Cracking Japan’s Systemic Sexual Abuse Culture
https://nupoliticalreview.org/2021/01/31/cracking-japans-systemic-sexual-abuse-culture/
Strangerland
There are a lot of people who like to paint Japan as something special, and particularly wrong, rather than just different. Human crimes are human crimes - they happen regardless of culture, and trying to paint Japan as something special is just their cultural bias.
What numbers in this article are supposed to prove your point that Japan is exceptional as compared to other countries? Any quotes?
zibala
Agree 100%. And so do some US states.
Shadows of the Rising Sun
It's great that you are open to looking further, Strangerland. I am passionate about more people in Japan opening up to a stark and scary reality that most dare not even contemplate.
The article does not go into a direct comparison in numbers, and this would be an exercise in futility anyway—something you would appreciate by reading the article.
Suffice it to say, the official numbers in Japan help in no way to understand the extent of the problem of sexual assault and sexual harassment in Japan and other means, methods and assessments are needed.
Strangerland
Then it's speculation. I've previously read the speculation.
And your cultural bias tells you that this is somehow different from other nations.
Shadows of the Rising Sun
You are entitled to your views Strangerland.
I can't help but be disappointed that you did not at least read the report, which you will soon see is definitely not based on speculation.
Have a great rest of your day. :)
opheliajadefeldt
Riho is just so courageous in coming out in public to reveal what her contemptuous dirt bag and sexual deviant her father was. Hopefully he will get a very long term inside to contemplate just how evil he is, and may always be.
Shadows of the Rising Sun
Don't count on him being convicted and imprisoned.
"In 2019, a string of rape acquittals triggered massive outrage. The most controversial came when a court found that a father had raped his nineteen-year-old daughter, but did not convict him because it couldn’t decide if she’d resisted. Since then, protesters have gathered on the eleventh day of every month to demand justice. Dubbed the “Flower Demo” movement, women armed with microphones—their faces hidden to avoid public scrutiny—recount their stories. At the center, a simple call to action: bar all forms of rape. "
Reference:
Cracking Japan’s Systemic Sexual Abuse Culture
Northeastern University Polictal Review, 2021
Jonathan Prin
According to 2014 statistics, “Japan’s incidences of rape are astonishingly low — less than one incidence per 100,000 people, in contrast to the almost 37 per 100,000 in the US.” At first glance, this low rate paints Japanese survivors as liars. However, less than five percent of incidents are even reported; for children and LGBTQ+ survivors, this rate is likely lower.
Here are your figures.
Knowing well Japanese, for sure they hide the truth.
But I am not sure making such crime be seen necessarily as a trauma for all victims is the way to go. Japanese are renowned to overcome ordeals being far less affected than non-Japanese. Social harmony over individualism. Fact.
Does not mean the means and law shall not be applied.
purple_depressed_bacon
This disgusting PoS should be castrated for what he did to his daughter. She'll have to live with the emotional and psychological trauma of this for the rest of her life while he gets to live out his days in a cell with 3 square meals a day. She was brave to speak out and seek justice. Hopefully it'll pave the way for more victims of sexual abuse to come forward and make their abusers pay. Heaven only knows how many of these cases go about unreported in Japan, a country that just doesn't take sex crimes seriously.
Michael Corleone
the law was only changed relatively recently. in 2016 the law was different.
well done riho!!
Alex
This young woman's future children will thank her for doing this. My mother was subjected to the same horrifying sexual abuse from her father, but she never said anything about it. Because of that, he went on to molest his grandchildren, myself included. He lived his life without any punishment for his horrific crimes, and ruined the lives of his descendants. Hearing this story makes me feel relieved that at least here, justice will hopefully be served. May the young woman find some peace, too.
Bob Fosse
You support the death penalty for rape?
After all the hundreds of posts you have made dismissing rape allegations don’t you think that’s a rather extreme and contrary approach?
Seesaw7
@Alex, thank you for sharing your story too.
Seesaw7
I hope the young lady will be able to move on and fall in love and trust someone in the future.
wallace
bass4funk
Incest happens in every country. Modern society changes very little. Dark secrets of too many families.
WA4TKG
What they didn’t mention here, (I saw only a minute or two of the girl on tv) is her father is someone famous…I think. I didn’t catch who he is.
Yamada Taro
Very common in Japan as the rape laws are no where near as strict as other countries, rapists know the laws better than the police and without a confession they have a get out of jail free card and repeat the crimes. Victims aren't willing to come forward especially when there is family involved because Japanese police refuse to get involved in personal matters. You only hear a fraction of the real numbers.
kaimycahl
What a profound statement I am speechless, no love, all hate. I wish that this young lady can get through life and find her peace even it if means having her rapist dad prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law after all she has endured. Most of all I hope she can learn to trust men again especially after being betrayed by one whom she thought perhaps loved her mentally and not physically. My only thought is this happened for 3 years and when the mom was away, did the mom not know also? This leaves readers like myself with questions.
Riho said “I saw no remorse from him and I felt I like I was betrayed. Blood ties are never broken, so it can be painful to be in a situation like this. Now that I've come this far, I want him to be prosecuted and for him to face up to the seriousness of his crimes.”
Mr Goodman
Brave young woman iam pround of you for reaching out
Yes this will encourage other to do the same.
The father is a despicable parent
Mr Goodman
It was rape not incest !
Btang
"The defendant has remained silent during the police investigation, prosecutors said."
himawari23
I’m sorry for what happened to Riho and admire her for encouraging others to come forward. Reading this and the other article about the woman who reported the chikan vice-principal gives me hope that more women will stand up for themselves.
When watching this story on the news a few weeks back, there was an older man standing next to her as she spoke out who I assumed to be an uncle or family member, but I was disturbed to find that it was her husband. He is twenty years her senior and only nine years younger than her father… eek.