Police said Thursday they have arrested a 75-year-old man for allegedly murdering his wife and slashing his son with a knife at their home in Tokyo.
The man, who has been named as Shigeru Uchida, was arrested Wednesday after his 24-year-old son called police. Fuji TV reported that Uchida's son telephoned emergency services from a nearby convenience store to report that his father had stabbed him at their home in Shinagawa Ward at around 10:30 p.m. Police arrived at the scene to find that Uchida had followed his son to the convenience store. Uchida was arrested at the scene on a charge of assault.
Police then searched Uchida's home, around 50 meters away, and discovered the body of his 66-year-old wife, who had reportedly bled to death from several knife wounds, including at least one to her neck.
Police say they are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led up to the attacks.
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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mikihouse
the most dangerous place to be with in Japan...staying with parents.
Ewan Huzarmy
Looks like a clear cut case (no pun intended) but what if it were the son, who killed the mother and the 75 year old father is suffering from senile dementia. He wakes up discovering in horror, that his wife is dead, then goes looking for his son in a daze. He'd have to be very heartless and cruel, but son gets rid of two aging parents and gets all the sympathy and their assets. Need more details on this one. Usually on JT crime stories it's the children offing the aging parents, not the other way around.
tmarie
Wow. So this guy was 51 when his son was born? 75 year old parent (and one likely suffering some sort of mental illness) is most likely a burden on the son. Japan, please wake up and start supporting your public. Between Te lack of daycares and lack if resources/help for the aged, the future is looking grim.
RIP poor woman.
SauloJpn
Too bad the mother died, whatever the reason or the culprit. RIP
Knox Harrington
Many aggressive oldies in Japan. It also seems that many of these knifings are "heat if the moment" crimes rather than premeditated ones. Many family crimes here, it seems. Can it have something to do with old Japanese being shite at expressing emotions?
Disillusioned
Don't be shy! Say it! They are not aggressive! They are nuts!!! Just about every day I see some golden-oldy screaming at someone or something. I saw one screaming at a public telephone the other day.
Tizalleyman
Maybe the old dude was upset because his 24 YEAR OLD son was still living at home!
brknarm
tmarie: why is it "likely" the father had a mental illness? because he's 75 yrs old? i'd like to know your rationale, my pops getting close to 75...need to be prepared. BTW: could've easily been the son who was a burden on the aging father, yes?
falseflagsteve
Older people worldwide are more active than they used to be and also are suffering the same problems as younger people. Many have been screwed with the pension plans, the rest of their life is worrying for them.
People in their 70's are not always frail as we may have imagined when we were young, many in Japan are still very active. Let's not think this is a unique problem to Japan, oldies around the world are doing this.
Cortes Elijah
@Ewan that is an excellent point
602miko
my gosh why? a 75 y/o man even put him in prison kinda nonsence his already old
Knox Harrington
Oldies around the world are doing what? Knifing family members to death? Let's not rely on the old chestnut "it's the same in the rest of the world", over and over and over again, because it's not. Japan has a much higher percentage of oldies than many other countries. There is crime in other countries, sure, and lots of it. The level of violent acts commited by old people here, though, seems to be much higher than other countries if we are to believe reporting.
nath
@Disillusioned "Many aggressive oldies but goodies in Japan.
"They are nuts!!! Just about every day I see some golden-oldy screaming at someone or something. I saw one screaming at a public telephone the other day."
I also saw one cuso gee gee jp man clock his close in age wife on the head in Ginza before...She somehow managed to make it to the other side of the street, and they continued to walk in parallel from opposite sides of the street after that.
ebisen
At 24 you barely started your life, went through University, etc... The old geezer has no reason to kill his own family except for being mentally deranged. Unfortunately this will also prevent him from being rehabilitated at the end of a wiggling rope
kimuzukashiiiii
It would not be the first time someone over the age of 70, or even 60, suffered an age related mental disorder. Diseases like Dementia or Alzheimers often result in violence in their victims.
I think what TMarie was suggesting (correct me If Im incorrectly putting words in your mouth, Tmarie) is that either the father A- found it hard to marry younger because he already had some kind of mental problem, or B - his age caused a mental problem. You have to consider that, generally "normal" healthy Japanese people do usually have children in their 20s or 30s. The wife would have been in her mid 30s (old 25 years ago) on conception, and the Dad in his 50s. Not so unusual now, but as I said ... 25 years ago ... that was very strange.
The fact he had kids so late just made it rather unfortunate for the son, who had not left home yet.
However, we dont know the full story. He could have 10 kids, and the 24 year old is just the youngest.
To be honest though, I would put money that something is not right with the old man - people of good mental disposition generally do not go around stabbing people.
Kimokekahuna Hawaii
elders are no longer respected by youth.. that makes them depressed and crazy.. should let elders move to the country.. live on a commune.. grow own food.. all the crap in foods makes people angry and depressed.. get the hell out of the city.. your friends are dead or dying or jealous you live so long.. move to somewhere green.. and it will save your life.. elders are not to be thrown out with the garbage.. like in America.
tmarie
Brk, you think sane people kill their wives and stab their son?!?
Crazedinjapan
Could be financial related , 24 would mean still possibly in university. Most parents end up coughing up for that expense. Being the age they are it was probably a burden they couldn't afford to bare and he finally snapped like so many others do here in similar circumstances. That age surely they were both retired and the young lad would more than likely be a drain on income not a contributor ...this is speculation of course could be the old guy was just plain nuts.
Elbuda Mexicano
No society is perfect, we all know Japan has many problems, but this does not mean that many young Japanese do not love and respect their grandparents. No idea why this old guy killed his wife, it sucks! RIP poor killed Tokyo woman
avigator
Can not trust anybody anymore, even your loved ones. This is called : "Living with the enemy"
Lowly
What a way to end a long 75 year life, after all that time living with the other ppl in his family, and time and energy raising his son...
brknarm2012
Tmarie: I think all killers, regardless of age, are a little 'off' when they kill. But let's not automatically use mental illness as a defense for these instances...
realdoll
Another knife tragedy in Japan. They need more control of these knives. Maybe kitchen knives should be less than 6 inches to be legal and only two per household.