20-year-old man arrested for killing woman in Tokyo apartment

Thursday 23rd July, 01:22 PM JST

TOKYO —

A 20-year-old man was arrested for murder on Wednesday, accused of stabbing a 44-year-old woman to death in an apartment in Tokyo’s Meguro ward. Police were called to the apartment building at about 2.45 p.m. after an apartment manager found Atsuko Shimasaki lying on the floor and bleeding from her abdomen. The woman was rushed to hospital but she was pronounced dead shortly after. She had also been burned with hot oil, police said.

A man was found smoking a cigarette in the apartment gardens and when police found a pair of bloodied gloves on him, he admitted to stabbing Shimasaki. He told police that he used to work with Shimasaki in the apartment, which was being used to make lunches for sale, and said: “I went to the apartment to see if I could work again, but she treated me coldly.”

Police also said the man is an outpatient at a hospital specializing in psychiatric care.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 21 Total Comments Show All

elbudamexicano at 02:59 PM JST - 23rd July

20 years old? By golly! An adult by Japanese law! Let him hang! RIP poor killed woman in Tokyo Apartment.
bamboohat at 03:20 PM JST - 23rd July

Moral of the story: Be nice to nutters, or every fourth Taro-san on the street that you come across.
JenniferKim at 03:28 PM JST - 23rd July

In a country where they lock people in hotels for having the flu, they have let mentally unstable people in out-patient treatment? Japan has a serious lack of understanding of the mentally ill.

Wow -- a double play. Japan-bashing, and bashing people with mental illness, in the same sentence.

It is the writer of this ridiculous comment (and not Japan) that has a serious lack of understanding of the mentally ill.

Millions of mentally ill people -- and not just in Japan -- can receive psychiatric care on an outpatient basis, and the vast majority of them do not commit violent acts.

The writer seems to think that all mentally ill people should be locked up in inpatient care. Then he/she has the gall to say that Japan doesn't understand mental illness.

Such ignorant comments are the price we must pay for free speech, I guess.
womanforwomen at 03:59 PM JST - 23rd July

It is a very sad story. People need to value human life. The Jgov has to do something about the mental health of the nation. Besides his mental illness, he was desperate to make money. Considering the current financial situation, more and more people are driven to the extremes.A school head was caught for substance abuse as he could not handle his stress. Just the couple of days alone, the criminal acts reported makes one wonder where this would all end.
seesaw at 04:06 PM JST - 23rd July

I went to the apartment to see if I could work again, but she treated me coldly.”

Sometimes one's attitude leads to one's death. Who's to be blamed?
Hotbox08 at 05:39 PM JST - 23rd July

Sad story. My condolences to woman. No matter how "coldly" you may feel a person treats you, it certainly doesn't warrant warrant murder.

The writer seems to think that all mentally ill people should be locked up in inpatient care. Then he/she has the gall to say that Japan doesn't understand mental illness.

Excellent point, JenniferKim! Seeing these kinds of hypocrisies are quite surprising. But then again, if you visit JT long enough ...
maryhinge at 05:59 PM JST - 23rd July

She used to sell her bento boxes by the Meguro river near the Gajoen. I never bought any as she was always smoking while serving. Her helpers were obviously not normal, what a shame.
bobcatfish at 06:57 PM JST - 23rd July

i want the crazies locked up, too. i don't understand mental illness but neither do I understand why people who are crazy enough to kill others aren't locked up.
Outspoken at 08:17 PM JST - 23rd July

He knew what he was doing. He must be locked up for life. He is a danger to the society.
Fadamor at 03:22 AM JST - 24th July

"Sigh. I went to see about getting my job back even though I had been fired before, but she treated me coldly. So I grabbed a butcher knife from the counter and rammed it deep into her gut. That's an appropriate response to getting turned down."

It makes you wonder what, exactly, they were doing with him in the mental clinic. Whatever it was, it was ineffective.
sfjp330 at 05:12 AM JST - 24th July

In Japan, there is a lack of awareness to mental illness problem. They are probably 20-30 years behind U.S. on understanding this problem and treatment. This is one of the major of the reason why Japan has the highest suicide rate for develop nation, around 33,000 per year. There is shame, denial, pressure, and lack of understanding from the family member, friends, neighbor, company, which in result, feel the burden and makes it difficult to live on. There is isolation and helplessness. The Japanese govenment should consult with Doctors and Psycologist and address this problem openly.
im3ngs at 07:12 AM JST - 24th July

“I went to the apartment to see if I could work again, but she treated me coldly,” he said. Then murders her and is later "found smoking a cigarette in the garden..." Which is colder? Damn.
bushlover at 08:40 AM JST - 24th July

Shove a knife in his gut and ask if it was that coldly.
Bento at 01:43 AM JST - 30th July

Happily Japan is a lot further behind than 20-30 years in the numbers of unprovoked murders committed, league table..and a century or two behind in the random sniper victim, league table.For a "society" to be judged meaningfully it must be judged in its entirety not on a selective basis.
AK619 at 11:57 AM JST - 30th July

That was good work that the officers caught him. I hope he gets hanged or locked up for life, dosen't matter if he was mental, that ain't no excuse for murder. I'm sure girls are just scared living alone with these type of killers on the loose.