TOKYO (TR) – The Tokyo District Court earlier this month sentenced a 44-year-old man to 16 years in prison for the gruesome murder of a 22-year-old female livestreamer, whose agonizing final moments were broadcast live to her viewers, reports Friday (Aug. 7-14).
On the morning of March 11, 2025, Kenichi Takano ambushed Airi Sato on a street near Takadanobaba Station in Shinjuku Ward. As Sato was actively broadcasting on the livestreaming app Fuwacchi, Takano repeatedly stabbed her 55 times with a knife.
Viewers listened in horror as her screams of “It hurts, stop, help me, no, no…” were streamed in real-time.
Sato, who streamed under the moniker “Ai Mogami,” first encountered Takano on the platform in late 2021. She was 19; he was 39.
“You are all I have”
Takano, a social recluse who had been living as a hikikomori (shut-in) for 15 years to escape a dysfunctional family environment, found his only solace in watching streams. He quickly became infatuated with the young broadcaster.
Over the course of six months, Takano showered Sato with over 1.6 million yen in digital “gifts.” The pair exchanged Line messages, with Sato whispering sweet words that fueled his obsession.
“I love you, Airi… You are all I have,” Takano wrote in one message.
Unpaid bills, abortion, cancer
By September 2022, Sato began demanding cash loans using a series of fabricated excuses. She claimed she needed money for unpaid phone bills, her sister’s abortion and even alleged that she had cancer and was vomiting blood.
Blinded by his feelings, Takano borrowed heavily from consumer finance companies, loaning her approximately 2.5 million yen in just two months.
Shortly after receiving the funds, Sato abruptly cut off contact. Driven into a corner by ruthless debt collectors, a desperate Takano spammed her with messages begging for help.
Bloody attack
In the summer of 2023, Takano filed a civil lawsuit demanding repayment, but Sato claimed she was broke. Realizing he had been conned and that she had no intention of ever returning the money, Takano’s desperation morphed into murderous rage, culminating in the bloody attack in Takadanobaba.
On July 15, 2026, the Tokyo District Court handed Takano a 16-year prison term for murder and other charges.
Despite the gruesome and public nature of the crime, Takano remains focused only on his own grievances. In a letter sent from a detention center, he wrote, “I believe this is a personal incident, not a societal one.”
