A man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murdering the man living opposite his home in Ueda City. According to police, Kunio Higuchi, 45, entered the home of Kazuo Karaki, 82, at around 8 a.m. last Friday and strangled him. Higuchi was found unconscious alongside Karaki and was taken to hospital, where upon his recovery and subsequent discharge on Tuesday, he was arrested by police.
Karaki’s wife, Hiromi, 75, was apparently hit and killed by a car nearby, before police found the two men on Friday, they said.
Higuchi has admitted to killing Karaki, and has also implied his involvement in the death of Karaki’s wife.
© Wire reports
14 Comments
Login to comment
indiboy
i told many times.. the society needs a change..majority here are having this kind of problems.. you cant find much reason behind it
Betting
"i told many times.. the society needs a change..majority here are having this kind of problems.. you cant find much reason behind it".
Yes, I know it's rammed down every visitors throat that Japan is a "safe" country (yeah, right) but its crimes aren't much different to anyone else's.
Moderator: The fact that such crimes happen in other countries is of course irrelevant to this discussion. Please stay on topic.
mcheeky
Everybody has conflicts with neighbors. But there is no reason believing a majority in Japan are anywhere near this.
Disillusioned
It is very different to other countries. It is very personal here and in most cases, very cowardly. People just snap and go on killing sprees for no apparent reason other than a personal grudge or fetish. I don't recall seeing any stories about parents killing their children in the international newspapers, unlike the three cases here in the last three weeks.
LFRAgain
This is more than a little reactionary. If the "majority" were having this kind of problem, that would imply a murder rate of more than 1 person for every two living in Japan - That's 64 million murders in one day. The Japanese population would be wiped out in less than a month.
The majority aren't having these sorts of problems. It's a small minority of people snapping for whatever reason, and killing people who comprise the majority.
But yes, something does need to change. Japan needs a quantum shift in how it views and dispenses mental health care for people in need of it.
Wakarimasen
Indeed, one does see some personal crimes in Japan. However, one hardly ever sees the impersonal crimes (muggings, random fighting, theft etc). Akihabara etc a minor exception.
Dennis Bauer
Keep an eye on your neighbour from now on
borscht
Did Higuchi also strangle himself?
DerekTrotter
The man must be a mental innit! jeremy Paxman said japanese health care is like Victorian age and many people are too scared to admit they are nuts.
maybe that is why there is so many people like this geezer. Don't sound a safe country to me and that.
helloklitty
It's a good idea to stay in shape so you can defend yourself. Of course, if you're 82, you'll need a to carry a handgun.
sensei258
A mother murders her two children, and gets a suspended sentence. So, kill two elderly people who have already lived most of their lives, and get what...a thank you from the government for saving them some pension money? I'd like to see where this one goes.
BBLeo
Another 'DAY' another 'NUT,' falling from the tree. To me the accuswed is not normal, and I wonder if he smoke the 'POT.' Hope he get life, not just suspended sentence, like female killer did today.
Elbuda Mexicano
Nagano is a very nice place, too bad these old folks had this idiot for a neighbor! May these old folks rest in peace. And let's be extra kind to our neighbors, you never know who may just be a basket case ready to snap!
kokuryu
Is there any further insight into this other than "he just snapped?" This is a bit too personal for just that. Did the older couple DO something to him, or cause him to lose his job or something like that? Are followups ever done to stories like this?