KYOTO —

Police launched a murder investigation Wednesday after the body of a man was discovered rolled up in a carpet in his 5th floor apartment in Kyoto. According to police, fingerprints in the room match those of apartment owner 61-year-old Norio Tamura.

Police said an autopsy found one small puncture in his abdomen that would not have been fatal. Police believe Tamura died at the beginning of October, but the exact cause of death has been difficult to determine because of decomposition of the body.

The body was found rolled up in a carpet inside the closet, and no bloodstains have been found anywhere. The apartment was in order and didn’t look as if it had been searched, but Tamura’s mobile phone, ATM card and apartment key have not been found.

According to investigators, Tamura had begun living alone in September. No one has been in contact with him since October 24. His son came to see how he was doing but the apartment door was locked.

The son notified police who entered the apartment and found Tamura’s body in the closet.

Wire reports

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10 Comments

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  tkoind2 at 03:37 PM JST - 29th October

  The understory here is how long it took people to notice. I think a lot of people in Japan live in relative isolation. If they work then at least there is a measure of someone still living or not. But so many stories come out of people found weeks after they die. Very sad.

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  spudman at 03:43 PM JST - 29th October

  Where was this? Reporter missed some information.

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  Harry_Gatto at 03:52 PM JST - 29th October

  KYOTO - first word on the top line.

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  sillygirl at 04:32 PM JST - 29th October

  da ya think foul play?

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  spudman at 06:44 PM JST - 29th October

  Thanks for the re-edit.

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  eigonosensei at 07:46 PM JST - 29th October

  I seriously think the old man got drunk and was playing with the carpet and suffocated or something.

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  eigonosensei at 07:49 PM JST - 29th October

  The apartment was locked from the inside. His mobile phone, ATM card and apartment key may have been left at the bar he last visited. He came home to his unlocked apartment, locked the door after entering and went crazy with the carpet.

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  dolphingirl at 08:10 PM JST - 29th October

  tkoind2: That was my first reaction too. This guy was either an unemployed, loner or no one bothered to go over to his apartment to see if he was okay. But i'm a little confuse because it says the police believe he died at the beginning of October but it also says 'no one had been in contact with him since October 24.' So, which is it?

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  Badge213 at 10:07 PM JST - 29th October

  But so many stories come out of people found weeks after they die. Very sad.

  They say he's been livinga lone since Sept,but no one has been in contact with him since the 24th, means he was only dead for about 4-5 days.

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  sharky1 at 10:53 PM JST - 29th October

  Strange things consistently happen in Japan...Makes Japan very interesting.

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