TOKYO (TR) – A 44-year-old man has admitted to fatally stabbing a 22-year-old woman while she was livestreaming on a street in the capital last year, acknowledging the charges during his first hearing at the Tokyo District Court.
Kenichi Takano is accused of murdering Airi Sato by stabbing her multiple times in the face and neck with a knife in the Takadanobaba area of Shinjuku Ward in March of last year.
“There is no mistake in the charges. I am deeply sorry,” Takano told the court on Wednesday, bowing his head as he entered his guilty plea.
In their opening statement, prosecutors revealed a motive fueled by unrequited feelings and a bitter financial dispute. Takano, who harbored romantic feelings for Sato, had borrowed money from consumer loan companies at her request, lending the victim approximately 2.55 million yen. However, Sato had only repaid 30,000 yen of the debt.
Prosecutors allege that Takano used Sato’s live broadcast to track her location and ambush her on the street. After repeatedly stabbing her, he then filmed and photographed the victim as she lay covered in blood.
The defense, meanwhile, highlighted Takano’s prior legal attempts to recover the funds. According to his legal team, Takano had filed a civil lawsuit demanding repayment and successfully seized Sato’s bank account — only to discover a balance of just over 160 yen.
The defense stated that on the day before the murder, Takano was watching Sato’s live stream and impulsively decided, “I’m going to go see her.”
