TOKYO, March 12 — A 42-year-old man arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old woman livestreaming in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Tuesday told police he attacked her over an unpaid debt.
Kenichi Takano, the suspect from Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, whose occupation is unclear, told police he attacked Airi Sato because she had not repaid money she borrowed from him.
According to Japan Times (JT), Takano had previously reported to Tochigi Prefectural Police in January 2024, alleging that Sato had failed to return the money he had lent her. Investigators believe the stabbing was a result of this unresolved financial dispute and are working to verify the details.
Police stated that Takano began sending money to Sato in 2022, providing her with over ¥2 million (RM59,826) at her request to help cover living expenses and phone bills. He is said to have borrowed the money from consumer finance companies.
“She continued to not repay me, so I decided to attack,” Takano was quoted as saying to investigators, according to JT.
Sato made a living by livestreaming on the WhoWatch app. Police believe she and Takano first met in December 2021 when he started watching her videos. He later started visiting the restaurant where she worked in the summer of 2022.
As seen on security cameras, Takano is said to have attacked Sato at around 9.50am when she was livestreaming in Takadanobaba, Shinjuku Ward. She was stabbed multiple times in the head, neck and chest. She was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead shortly after arrival.
Takano told police that he saw Sato’s announcement about her Tuesday livestream while walking in Tokyo. He followed her broadcast and searched for her. Authorities believe Takano may have ambushed Sato while she was walking alone.