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Murder of ‘Gyoza King’ remains unsolved 1 year on

The first branch of Gyoza no Ohsho in Kyoto (Tokyo Reporter)
The first branch of Gyoza no Ohsho in Kyoto (Tokyo Reporter)

KYOTO (TR) – With Friday marking the one-year anniversary of the murder of the chief of a dumpling chain, Kyoto Prefectural Police remain puzzled as to who was behind the hit, reports public broadcaster NHK (Dec. 19).

On the morning of December 19, Takayuki Ohigashi, 72, the president of Ohsho Food Service, which operates Gyoza no Ohsho (Gyoza King), was shot dead near a parking lot for the company’s headquarters in Yamashina Ward as he commuted to work.

Ohigashi received four wounds to the right part of his chest and abdomen from an unknown gunman. He was confirmed dead by emergency personnel at a nearby hospital.

In spite of dedicating substantial manpower to the investigation, Kyoto police have managed to develop very few leads.

Members of the force and relatives gathered at scene of the crime to pay their respects to Ohigashi.

The company has recently indicated that it is pushing to expand its business abroad.

“Over the past year, our employees came together as one unit to acknowledge the warm support we received from customers,” said current president Naoto Watanabe. “With (Ohigashi’s) wish being to develop our business, I want to carry that out.”

Masato Shota, the chief of detectives at the Kyoto police headquarters, said that finding the perpetrator must be done to provide a sense of healing for Ohigashi’s family and provide peace of mind to local residents.

“Since it is the most important issue in our organization, we are collectively committed to this investigation,” said Shota.