HOKKAIDO (TR) – The Sapporo District Court last week handed down lengthy prison sentences to three youths over the brutal robbery and fatal group beating of a university student in Ebetsu City two years ago.
Details of the roles of the defendants in the crime emerged during the trial proceedings, reports STV News (June 28).
On June 25, Haruna Kawamura, 21, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while Miyu Takizawa, who was 18 at the time of the crime, received a 20-year term. A 16-year-old boy was handed an indeterminate sentence of nine to 13 years.
The three were convicted of robbery resulting in death following the October 2024 killing of Tomoya Hase, 20, at a park in Ebetsu City.
According to the ruling, the fatal incident was triggered by “relationship trouble” between Hase and his girlfriend, Ama Yagihara. Yagihara conspired with the group to lure Hase to the park, where a horrific two-hour ordeal unfolded.
“I can’t stop laughing’
The court detailed an exceptionally cruel attack initiated by the group’s alleged ringleader, Yuto Kawaguchi. The group relentlessly beat Hase, stripped him naked and forced him to grovel on the ground (dogeza) while demanding compensation for “blood-stained clothing.”
The presiding judge highlighted the extreme callousness of the 16-year-old defendant. While filming Kawaguchi setting the victim’s hair on fire, the teen laughed and remarked, “It’s a firework.” He was also heard saying, “I can’t stop laughing,” as he recorded Takizawa delivering a dropkick to the victim.
After extorting Hase’s PIN numbers, the group robbed him of his cash, bank cards, and a mobile battery. The 16-year-old pocketed 10,000 yen of the stolen funds.
The attackers then abandoned the naked, battered student in the freezing park, leaving him to die. Afterward, they used his stolen cards to withdraw cash and purchase cigarettes, casually exchanging text messages with no apparent remorse.
Actively encouraged the crime
In handing down the ruling, the judge condemned the crime as “extremely brutal and malicious,” ranking it among the worst cases of robbery resulting in death.
“They forced a victim who was entirely without fault to grovel, inflicting immense mental and physical agony, and showed absolutely no consideration for his life or dignity,” the judge stated. The judge noted that Kawamura and the other defendants nodded deeply as the court described how they had “completely changed the lives” of the victim and his bereaved family.
Although the 16-year-old had no prior criminal record and played a subordinate role to Kawaguchi, the judge emphasized that his actions — both physical and verbal — actively encouraged the crime, warranting a heavy sentence despite his young age.
“What should have been resolved through discussion over relationship trouble escalated into violence involving outsiders,” the judge concluded. “There is absolutely no room for leniency.”
