Woman arrested for killing bedridden mother

"Honda beat HER MOTHER Kikuko to death with a walking stick"

RIP Honda-sama!! :-(

Wow...not the way a mother should be treated.

People get stressed... It's horrible but it's a fact. Executing them helps nobody.

show "strong regret" + shed a tear in front of the judge = little or no jail time

@sensei258 - "little or no jail time"

Real justice would be beating THE DAUGHTER to death with the same walking stick. Any volunteers?? ;-)

This seems to be a worrying trend in Japan. There have been so many similar cases just in the past year alone. RIP.

sighclops: "This seems to be a worrying trend in Japan. There have been so many similar cases just in the past year alone. RIP."

Yes, and no. Killing parents, children, brothers, and sisters then failing to kill oneself in murder-suicides (or succeeding) is an alarming and daily trend here, but this one is not quite the same thing. In this case, while still deplorable and the woman still deserving prison for what she's done, you can understand to an extent the stress and frustration that must build at having to take care of a bed-ridden person 24-seven. This isn't the same thing as snapping because someone wouldn't pass you the remote control, or killing a relative because they made noise while you were playing video games.

@smithinjapan - "you can understand to an extent the stress and frustration that must build at having to take care of a bed-ridden person 24-seven"

The article says "several" but can you guess just how many times you would need to hit someone with a WALKING STICK to kill them? And just what the victim is saying to the murderer before they finally lose consciousness?

Murder is not a result of "stress and frustration", murder is a result of premeditated and sustained violence driven by pure, unadulterated hatred.

@smithinjapan

you can understand to an extent the stress and frustration that must build at having to take care of a bed-ridden person 24-seven

Seriously? You're suggesting this kind of brutal bludgeoning to death of one's own, bedridden MOTHER is somehow understandable due to stress? Wow. And this apparently wasn't an isolated incidence, as the mother reported abuse prior to this grisly act of matricide.

Sorry, Smith, but I can't agree that there is ANY reason to show any sympathy or understanding to the daughter. Japanese hospitals are full of people who practically live there for long-term care. If the daughter couldn't deal with it, there are institutions that can. Nobody's mother was harder to deal with than my own in her later years, but even feeling that kind of anger at a sick, elderly person, no matter how bad the relationship was, is just unthinkable for a normal person.

This daughter should be put behind bars before she decides the stress of raising her kids, being with her man, or dealing with the local neighbors is too much and she decides to go a few rounds with them. RIP to the mother. Awful stuff going on in Japan these days.

Guys, I never said what she did was acceptable. Not at all. I think she deserves life for it just like I think anyone else who killed someone does. Nor do I feel any sympathy with her. I just said that it is understandable why someone might snap in such circumstances as opposed to many of the other situations where the people snap for seemingly no reason. You point out where I said that excuses what she did, and I'll apologize for my comment.

Mike Critchley: "You're suggesting this kind of brutal bludgeoning to death of one's own, bedridden MOTHER is somehow understandable due to stress?"

Nope. I said I understand how someone could snap, not that the result is understandable. Have you ever heard of a "crime of passion"? They are not excusable either, but you can understand why someone might go nuts in some circumstances. Doesn't mean you think they should kill or even harm anyone. She should have gone to a gym and hit the punching bag, and needless to say tried to find help elsewhere.

"Nobody's mother was harder to deal with than my own in her later years, but even feeling that kind of anger at a sick, elderly person, no matter how bad the relationship was, is just unthinkable for a normal person."

And you are the better person for it. You'll agree with me, then, that it was extremely hard to deal with, no? It's good that you could take it. Some can't. This woman will pay the price, I hope. I absolutely agree this woman should be locked up -- already said as much.

unemployed 44-year-old woman

unemployed or full-time carer?

The sick nature of japanese murders continue to surprise me. Is there anything the japanese miss out on during childhood? such things like common sense? Why do they always kill their family members over trivial matters, not considering consequences at all.

The crime of her killing her mother is bad, but a worse crime is the fact that there are so many people enslaved to their ageing and ailing parents in a country that brags how rich it is and how much they respect their elderly.

@Saiaku - "Is there anything the japanese miss out on during childhood?"

Yes. It's called L-O-V-E... and it's in short supply in Japan!!

@Disillusioned - "a country that BRAGS... how much they respect their elderly"

I love Japan but that's why my posts take on the tone that they do. I don't like the BRAGGING about things that patently are not true. And I won't stop until they do...

These murderers never knew they will get old and taken care of by somone someday. Too painful killing bedridden mothers like a rat.

how sad mother died this way? flash back before her last moment? once a little girl she raised now took her life? hope she found some comfort in mind before her last breath.

are there any groups that give home care givers a break for a few days? Like a nurse that makes house calls? I can't see this getting any better as the country shrivels up

also are there clothes like Depends in Japan?

@sf2k - "are there clothes like Depends in Japan?"

Yes. It's a sad fact that Japan sells more diapers for adults than they sell diapers for babies... :-(

Mothers, partners and children. Japanese women seem to have a somewhat ruthless streak I have noticed.

Is there no public/government/assistance service or money or credit for taking care of the elderly who are incapacitated and on limited to no income?

The daughter can't be forgiven but if she had no one to help her she probably felt hopeless which is when people snap and bad things happen unfortunately. Take her out of that circumstance and both lives are saved.

Communal care is going to have to increase, classes on how to be a home care giver, community centres, nurse sharing, stress reduction, depression counselling, the works. I've read about it in Japan, so I know it's there, but I never get a sense of how pervasive it is.

Also many elderly don't have children to look in on them or are too far away. A friend in Japan has adopted an elderly neighbour and visits with his children from time to time.

People need to feel valued.

Stupid Ms. Michi Honda , remember when you were a child how many times you did not made it to toilet and your poor mother did not beat you.

What a horrible thing to do. And the method by which she did it was barbaric.

well she is living in a prison, might as well go to a real one, this time with somebody watching over her

@khulifi - "remember when you were a child [and] did not made it to [the] toilet and your poor mother did not beat you"

Err, hello! This is Japan. It is much more likely that THE MOTHER DID BEAT HER when she was a child, and this is the daughter's revenge.

I think they call it KARMA!! ;-)

If it was legal in Japan, Physician-assisted suicide lessens suffering for the family and friends of terminally ill patients. Terminally ill people should have the right to end their lives on their own terms. If someone knows they are going to be in pain for the rest of their life, I believe they should be allowed to end it while they are still physically able. It’s simply a reassurance for the patient and a way out of needless pain and suffering. The ability to be in control of your own mind and body is an essential human right terminally ill people are often not granted.

My mother really stressed me out, never thought of beating her. She put me through a lot with falling injuries and I hope I never get like that.