DerekJ comments

"Police said he has admitted to the charge but gave no motive."

Welcome to Japan, where motives either don't exist in murders such as these, or are based on a whim.

People here are wound up too tightly, and snap too extremely as a result.

Senseless murders are unique to Japan? Don't think so.

scoobydoo: In Japan, I think that where you stand in relation to the rest of society is one of the biggest defining factors of who you are, and is as relevant to ppl watching the news as say age or gender in other cultures.

Excellent point, hannari. To get a little perspective on this, I suggest a comparative law book I'm reading called "Secrets, Sex, and Spectacle: The Rules of Scandal in Japan and the United States" by Mark D. West. It throws some light on how these things are viewed in Japan and why they are approached in the ways that they are.

Gotta love Reiko's coyote morning!

As a 47yo male, I have to say she looks quite nice. I agree though that the leggings have to go.

I take my son fishing around canals and locks and though he is a decent swimmer, I do make him wear a life vest (which he hates). One little mis-step near the edge and you could find yourself diving in after your kid. Water safety is so important...too many people ignore/fail to recognize this often with tragic results. RIP

Not to put a wet blanket on anyone's relationship but seeing someone 13 yrs her junior at her age? C'mon...she must be able to find someone decent in her age bracket.

Who is to say the 'Father of the decade' was not the main reason this kid decided to off himself? If he was such a great parent why did he not realize his 13y/o son was suicidal?

Pure speculation that shows no empathy for the victims here. Obviously, you never have had the experience of a suicide in your family. A potential suicide victim is not necessarily as easy to spot as you would think. Many, especially children, suffer in silence until they pick a date to do the deed.

why not try holding your breath.

In the instantaneous rush to rescue, I'm that was not the first thing on the dad's mind. RIP

AK619, I couldn't agree with you more. This appears to be a shocking abdication of his duty of care.

A human opossum! Love it.

I think it's a great photo. Good on her and any other expectant mother who wants to have this done.

This is just plain weird. I know many women who pray for husbands but not in a group setting.

I don't see how this differs from a bunch of people praying for something in church. These ladies have a common goal, so why not pray together?

As stated earlier, a 1-year-old can be very mobile and it only takes a second of inattention for the child to end up where they shouldn't. While in hindsight it is easy to blame the parents, it is also completely understandable how this can happen. RIP little one.

Poor tyke. Leaving a child that age around a body of water is clearly negligent...it only takes a second for tragedy to strike.

Some here need to realize that the J-cops are no different than cops in other countries where domestic violence laws are not as refined as they have become here in the US. There was a time in most states that if a DV call was made and the cops came out to the residence no arrest would be made if the victim (usually the wife) failed to express a desire to press charges. Nowadays, an arrest is made notwithstanding the desires of the victim. Japan is slowly coming around to this viewpoint from what I understand.

Pneumonia can kill anyone. You don't have to have HIV/AIDS in order for it to hasten your demise. There also is no indication that Ai had HIV or AIDS. As she had a history of recent health problems her immune system would understandably be compromised thus making her more susceptible.

There should not be a statute of limitations for the ultimate crime. As others have noted, DNA testing has made it a lot more possible to catch murders years down the road. To me, it doesn't matter if the murderer is on his deathbed when they catch up with him.

Funny, I just finished reading this article last night and this morning I got a cell phone email from my fiancee with a picture of the homemade chicken meal she was electronically offering me. Cute....I had nice chuckle and was reminded of just why I love that dear Japanese heart of hers. Merry Christmas, everyone!