A 42-year-old man arrested in connection with Tuesday’s fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old woman livestreaming in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward told police he attacked her over an unpaid debt.
The suspect, Kenichi Takano of Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, whose occupation is unknown, said he decided to attack the victim, Airi Sato, after she failed to repay money she had borrowed from him. In January 2024, Takano had approached Tochigi Prefectural Police, claiming Sato had not returned the funds he had lent her. Investigators believe the incident stemmed from this financial dispute and are working to confirm the details.
Police said Takano began transferring money to Sato in 2022, sending her more than ¥2 million ($13,520) upon her request to cover living expenses and phone bills. He allegedly borrowed the money from consumer finance companies. “She continued to not repay me, so I decided to attack,” Takano reportedly told investigators.
Sato supported herself through livestreaming on the app WhoWatch. Police believe she and Takano became acquainted in December 2021, when he started watching her videos, and he began visiting the restaurant where she worked around the summer of 2022.
The attack occurred around 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday in Takadanobaba, Shinjuku Ward, while Sato was livestreaming. Based on security footage, Takano is believed to have stabbed her dozens of times in the head, neck and chest. She was taken to hospital and pronounced dead shortly after.
Takano told police he had seen Sato’s announcement that she would livestream Tuesday while walking in Tokyo, traveled to the capital that morning and searched for her while watching the broadcast. It is believed that Takano may have ambushed Sato while she was walking alone.
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