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Hikikomori shut-in not prosecuted over corpse of mother left in residence

KANAGAWA (TR) – Prosecutors have announced the non-prosecution of a 49-year-old man, who lives a shut-in existence, following the discovery of the corpse of his mother at their residence in Yokohama, reports NHK (Nov. 28).

On November 4, the younger sister of Masaru Nakamoto alerted police after visiting the residence, located in Kanazawa Ward, and finding the decayed corpse of her mother, 76-year-old Kayoko, atop a futon in a bedroom.

Officers arriving at the scene later accused Nakamoto, who shared the residence with his mother, of abandoning a corpse.

According to police, Kayoko is believed to have died in the middle of October. After her death, the suspect moved her corpse from the kitchen to the bedroom. She likely died due to natural causes.

Masaru Nakamoto
Masaru Nakamoto (Twitter)

On Wednesday, the Yokohama District Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the non-prosecution of Nakamoto. No reason for the non-prosecution was given.

Nakamoto suffers from the condition known as hikikomori, meaning a person who has withdrawn from society.

For roughly 40 years, he has not spoken to anyone. Instead, he communicates through a technique known as hitsudan, which involves writing on paper. “I didn’t do anything,” the suspect wrote to police upon his arrest. “I wanted my sister to come.”