The case of the murdered female student, buried in concrete, shook Japan

Hello! The story I want to tell you today takes place in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

Saitama Prefecture is situated in the southeastern region of Japan, within the sprawling Greater Tokyo metropolitan area. In the southeastern expanse of Saitama, there lies a city known as Misato, located approximately 20 kilometers away from Tokyo. This city encompasses an area of about 30,000 square kilometers, and it’s here that our story takes place.

The central character of our narrative is Junko Furuta, born on January 18, 1971. At the time these events transpired, she was merely 17 years old, attending Yashio Minami High School in Saitama Prefecture. Junko was known for her lively personality and a charming appearance, endearing her to her fellow students. Her father worked as a business director at a canning factory, while her mother was a homemaker. In addition to her parents, Junko had an older brother and a younger brother. Their family wasn’t affluent, and her father bore the financial responsibility. In an effort to alleviate this burden, Junko decided to work part-time after completing junior high school. Alongside her school duties, she took on various part-time roles such as a salesperson in a household goods store or aiding with packaging at a plastic factory to contribute to her family’s finances.

As the time for her high school graduation drew near, she had successfully secured an interview with a company and passed their selection process. Graduation meant the commencement of a new chapter in her life.

However, none could have foreseen the harrowing events that unfolded on one particular day during her journey to work — an encounter with a malevolent force that would leave anyone hearing this tale deeply distraught.

So, what exactly transpired on that fateful day?

To understand, we must turn the clock back to November 25, 1988.

November 25, 1988, was a picturesque Friday. As was her custom, after school, Junko headed to her part-time job at a plastic factory.

At precisely 8:20 PM, Junko wrapped up her work and embarked on her journey homeward. Carrying her bag, she mounted her bicycle, steering it in the direction of her residence.

The road was dimly lit, with only a smattering of streetlights, and there were scarcely any pedestrians in sight. Suddenly, an unfamiliar man on a motorcycle approached from behind, delivering a vicious kick that sent her crashing to the ground.

Before she could react, the motorcyclist sped away with lightning speed. As she struggled to regain her footing, a benevolent young man came to her aid, informing her that the assailant was affiliated with the criminal underworld and had been observing her. He even expressed concerns that the attacker might return to inflict further harm. It was an exceedingly perilous situation, and he selflessly offered to accompany her safely to her home.

Junko, still reeling from the impact and disoriented, struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation. However, an instinctive sense that the young man before her might be her best hope prevailed. With unsteady movements, she retrieved her fallen bicycle and followed him.

As they walked, the surroundings grew increasingly remote and desolate, casting ominous shadows on their path. It was here that he halted and confessed to being a member of a local gang, revealing that the man on the motorcycle had been his partner in crime. This young man went by the name of Hiroshi Miyano, aged 18 and currently estranged from the world of formal education. He subsequently subjected her to a horrifying ordeal, menacing her with dire consequences unless she acquiesced to spending the night with him.

By 9:50 PM, Hiroshi had transported Junko to a nearby hotel, where he committed unspeakable acts against her. However, he had no intention of releasing her as promised; instead, a far more sinister plot was set in motion. Hiroshi coordinated a meeting with three additional accomplices at a secluded park: Joe Ogura, Shinji Minato, and Yasushi Watanabe (the very individual who had initially struck Junko with his motorcycle).

At 3:00 AM the following morning, three young men waited in a car parked near the park. Soon, Hiroshi arrived, accompanied by Junko. The four of them rifled through her belongings and discovered a diary containing her home address. They wielded this newfound information as a potent threat, warning that any attempt to flee would result in harm befalling her entire family. Junko, paralyzed by fear, had no choice but to comply with their demands.

Subsequent deliberations led the group to transport Junko to Shinji’s residence, situated in Ayase, Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Shinji’s two-story home featured distinctive exterior columns, which he often used as a clandestine entry point for his friends. His family consisted of four members, including his parents and an older brother. His parents resided on the ground floor, while Shinji and his brother occupied the upper level.

On that early morning, the quartet escorted Junko to the second-floor bedroom and held her captive. At the time, Shinji’s father was away on a trip, leaving only his mother and older brother at home. Initially, there was a degree of concern that Junko might create disturbances, prompting them to look after her. In a twist of tragic misunderstanding, Junko naively believed that they might eventually release her and made no attempt to escape.

On that fateful day, Hiroshi was deeply concerned that Junko's parents might involve the authorities due to their inability to locate their daughter. Consequently, he instructed her to make a call home, explaining that she had been feeling emotionally down lately, leading her to stay with a friend. She expressed her need for personal space and requested that her family not worry too much.

Through the telephone, Junko's parents failed to detect any irregularities. They presumed that their daughter was at a friend's house, thus avoiding a call to the police. Two days later, on November 28th, the four individuals became disheartened and sought a more entertaining pastime. This prompted them to invite two additional friends to the house. The loud commotion emanating from their activities on the upper floor drew the attention of Shinji's father, who had returned from a trip.

Upon inquiry, Shinji claimed that Junko was his new girlfriend and requested his father not to disturb them. Subsequently, all six men engaged in collective torment towards her. Overwhelmed with fear, Junko attempted to endure, much to the satisfaction of the group.

In the days that followed, Junko continued to be subjected to their cruel amusements. One day, as Shinji's mother ascended to the second floor to tidy up, she unintentionally stumbled upon Junko. She was aware that her son had previously brought girls home but was astonished that the young lady was still there. Consequently, she urged Junko to depart. However, a few days later, she spotted Junko again on the second floor and instructed her to leave. She refrained from questioning her son.

During that time, it was December, and the external weather was bitterly cold. The four young men regularly congregated at Shinji's residence for amusement. They even coerced Junko to disrobe and dance to music. They went to the extent of making her stand on the second-floor balcony without clothing, causing her to faint from the cold. Subsequently, Junko continued to endure their egregious demands.

In a bid to prevent Junko's parents from contacting the authorities, Hiroshi periodically insisted she make calls home, portraying her as obedient to alleviate her family's concerns. They perceived her as compliant, leading them to subject her to even more torment. When she grew weary, one of the four would stay behind to care for Junko, while the rest ventured out to procure food before returning to continue their distressing activities.

Hiroshi went so far as to record these moments with a camera, forcing Junko to watch them. On one occasion, Hiroshi deceitfully informed Junko that her father had tragically passed away in a traffic accident. Upon witnessing her grief, he reveled in her distress and later dismissed it as a jest. The entire group continued to use misleading expressions to torment her emotionally.

During this period, a member of the group considered finding a way to free Junko but was detected and subsequently reprimanded by the rest of the group.

After that, the whole group continued to have fun with her. At that moment, Junko couldn't bear it anymore and cried out for help. Shinji's parents, who were downstairs, heard the noise but didn't intervene because they were afraid of those young men.

On December 7, 1988, the 13th day of her captivity, six men, exhausted from staying up late, had fallen asleep. During this time, Junko had endured immense physical and emotional suffering, but she mustered the strength to put on some clothes and make her way to the first floor to find a phone and call the police. However, before she could fully explain the situation to the police, Hiroshi was right behind her, furious at her actions. He immediately hung up the phone and dragged her back to the second floor. Then he returned to the phone, calling the operator and claiming it was just a prank by their friends. Afterward, he went to the upper floor, poured gasoline on her legs, and set them on fire as a form of punishment. As a result, her legs were severely burned and rendered immobile. Others followed suit, burning different parts of her body. Junko's wounds started to fester, emitting a foul odor as she received no prompt medical attention.

Shinji's parents had noticed that things were not right at their home, but they were afraid to provoke the gang, so they turned a blind eye to the situation. Shinji's older brother also lived on the second floor and was aware of what was happening to Junko. Out of fear, he refrained from notifying the police and occasionally brought some food to her, like milk and bread.

Due to her extensive burns, Junko was unable to walk, ultimately having to lie on the floor and relieve herself there. Some members of the group of six considered the room they were keeping her in to be their hiding place, and what Junko had done made them extremely uncomfortable. They even forced her to consume her own excrement. Gradually, the food they provided to her dwindled. Some days, she received only a few slices of bread and a small carton of milk, while other days, she was left hungry.

Hiroshi even physically assaulted her when she urinated on the floor, causing her feet to become dirty. They constantly attacked her face, causing it to swell and deform. At that time, Junko was in a state of delirium, and to them, she was just a source of pleasure to relieve their desires. However, she had become filthy and unable to fulfill their needs. Still, they had no intention of releasing her, as they feared being caught by the police. Subsequently, an even more sinister plan took shape in their minds.

The 41st day of captivity arrived. At 6:30 AM, Hiroshi went to Shinji’s house with an angry demeanor. He had lost over 100,000 Yen from gambling the previous night and was feeling frustrated. When he saw Junko lying on the dirty, foul-smelling floor, he unleashed his anger on her with a display of physical violence. At that point, Junko’s consciousness was fading, and she could barely make any sounds. Her feet were soiled and immobile, making her entirely at the mercy of others.

Even after this attack, Hiroshi was not satisfied. He found a round weight, attached a 1.7 kg iron bar to it, and relentlessly used it to strike her abdomen for two hours.

The next morning, on the 5th day of the month, they discovered that Junko had passed away. They had prepared for this eventuality. Hiroshi had taken a truck from his former workplace and stolen some yellow sand, cement, and bricks from a nearby construction supply store. He also stole a 60 cm diameter and 90 cm high iron drum from a construction site.

First, they wrapped Junko in a blanket and placed her in a suitcase. They then drove to an empty lot and put her into the iron drum.

Hiroshi strongly believed in the supernatural. He feared that Junko would turn into a ghost and return to seek revenge on him. That’s why he added another videotape to the box. Inside was a Japanese TV show called ‘Dragonfly,’ Junko’s favorite Japanese TV show. During her captivity, Junko often mentioned this show.

Later, the group mixed cement and poured it into the box, sealing it shut with tape.

At 8 PM, the group drove to Tokyo with the intention of throwing the box into the sea. However, due to traffic, they were concerned about police inspection, so they changed their route and went to Wakasu Seaside Park near Tokyo Bay, where they tossed the box into a roadside grassy area.

To destroy evidence, they thoroughly cleaned the car and then returned to Shinji’s house, eliminating anything related to Junko.

On January 23, 1989, 18 days after Junko’s passing, Hiroshi and Ogura were arrested by the police for previous crimes involving a young girl. Initially, they believed they were arrested because the police had found Junko’s body, so they revealed some details about her. It was only later that they realized they were being arrested for a different crime. Both of them later confessed to their involvement in the ongoing investigation and were detained at a juvenile detention facility in Nerima, Tokyo.

Based on their statements, the police grew suspicious and thought they might be connected to other cases, prompting a search of their homes. On March 29, 1989, two months after Junko’s death, the investigators went to Hiroshi’s house and found some women's undergarments, leading them to believe that he was involved in other incidents.

Shortly after, the police conducted separate interrogations with Hiroshi and Ogura. During the interrogation, Hiroshi believed that Ogura had already confessed to Junko's death, so he admitted to the crime and recounted the entire story.

The next day, on March 30, 1989, the case was officially investigated. Following the location Hiroshi provided, the police found an iron drum. Inside, they found Junko in an advanced state of decomposition, nearly unrecognizable. Her identity was ultimately confirmed through fingerprint analysis. A forensic examination revealed that her face was disfigured, her teeth were mostly broken, she had numerous metal pieces in her chest, her intestines were ruptured, her hair was torn out, and some pieces of glass were found inside her. She was also found to be pregnant. Using the call records of Junko's call to her parents, the police traced Shinji's home and successfully apprehended the group of teenagers, including Shinji's older brother.

As a result, the group of seven individuals was brought to trial. Among the initial four, Hiroshi was the primary offender, and they were all between the ages of 16 and 18.

This was an extremely grave case of juvenile delinquency.

In the end………………….

After confirming Junko's passing, her family held a memorial service for her. One of her classmates wrote a condolence letter, expressing how unexpected and difficult the circumstances were. They would never forget her, and the principal awarded her a posthumous diploma. They had graduated together, and everyone would always be there for her. They hoped she would find peace.

Typically, juvenile cases in Japan are handled by family courts, but due to the severity of this case, it was referred to the Tokyo District Court for trial.

The prosecution filed a lawsuit against four individuals on charges of unlawful confinement, intentional homicide, and corpse abandonment.

On July 31, 1989, the case was officially brought to trial at the Tokyo District Court. The prosecution argued that all four individuals were juveniles, but given the gravity of their actions, they should be tried as adults.

This was a heinous and unprecedented crime in Japanese history. The motives of the defendants were seemingly arbitrary, and the victim endured unimaginable suffering. In court, although the four defendants initially confessed, their defense attorneys later argued that they were juveniles and did not intend to kill Junko. They claimed they only continued to assault her, not with the intent to murder her.

By May 21, 1990, after ten months of trial, the case came to a close. Hiroshi was sentenced to 17 years in prison, Ogura received a 5 to 10-year prison term, Shinji was sentenced to 4 to 6 years, and Yasushi was sentenced to 3 to 4 years. Three of the remaining seven accomplices were also detained in a juvenile reformatory. The prosecution rejected these sentences, considering them too lenient.

Subsequently, they appealed to the Tokyo High Court. On July 12, 1990, one year later, the Tokyo High Court issued a ruling. With the exception of Ogura, who retained his original sentence, the sentences for the other three were increased. Hiroshi received a 20-year prison sentence, Shinji was sentenced to 5-9 years, and Yasushi was sentenced to 5-7 years. However, the prosecution remained dissatisfied with this verdict.

The Tokyo High Court explained that, under Japanese law at the time, because all perpetrators in the case were juveniles, they received lenient sentences. Following the verdict, the parents of the juvenile offenders hoped to apologize to Junko's family and offer a chance for rehabilitation, but their requests were denied.

Under the civil court's order, Hiroshi's mother sold her house to provide 50 million yen (approximately 335,000 USD at current rates) in compensation to Junko's family through a lawyer. Ogura's father deposited a significant portion of his income into an account managed by a lawyer. Although Shinji's parents were aware of the situation, they were not held responsible.

Junko's family was dissatisfied with these actions and filed a civil lawsuit against Shinji's parents, who were subsequently required to compensate for their involvement. This case remains one of the most horrifying in the history of juvenile crimes in Japan. The four perpetrators committed the crimes as juveniles and continued to reoffend after their release, even making promises to never commit crimes again before their sentencing.

Immediately after this case, Japanese society was inundated with legal debates concerning juvenile crimes. Some suggested changing the minimum age for criminal responsibility. Through this case, it becomes evident that juvenile delinquency is closely linked to family upbringing, and timely intervention could potentially prevent such tragedies from occurring.

Although many decades have passed, this remains one of the most haunting cases in Japan's criminal history.

Today, the case concludes, and we look forward to discussing more cases in the future.

Goodbye!