Press "Enter" to skip to content

Man accused of dumping dismembered corpse of hostess says she ‘committed suicide’

TOKYO (TR) – Following the discovery of the body of a 37-year-old hostess on Oshima Island last year, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested her 45-year-old boyfriend for allegedly dumping and dismembering her body.

The suspect, Satatsu Yanase, has told police that Shizuka Takase, his girlfriend at the time, had taken her life before he committed the alleged crimes, reports Jiji Press (Jan. 26).

Between September 9 and October 23, Yanase, a resident of the town of Oshima, allegedly dismembered the body of Shizuka Takase, then 37, and dumped the remains in the ocean.

Upon his arrest on suspicion of mutilation and abandoning a corpse on January 24, Yanase, who runs a tatami shop on the island, admitted to the charges. He was sent to prosecutors the same day.

On Saturday, police revealed that Yanase had divulged his version of events surrounding her death. “I was at home,” he said, “but the next thing I knew she had committed suicide.”

He also said, “I got scared, so I took the body to a vacant lot near the warehouse where the tatami mats are stored and dismembered it with a saw.” He added, “I burned it in the vacant lot. After that, I put it in a bag and threw it in the sea.”

Satatsu Yanase (X)

A sacrum and femur

A man cleaning up a beach on Oshima just before 4 p.m. on October 23 reported to police that he found some human bones on the sand.

When police officers arrived, they found six bones, including a sacrum and femur. They were believed to be from an adult woman.

Police later solicited the public for information, including through the posting posters in the town with messages. One asked, “Is there a woman over 30 who dropped out of touch in your area?”

The results of DNA testing on the remains revealed on January 14 that the body was that of Takase, a Sapporo City native who went missing in September.

Shizuka Takase (X)

Working as a hostess

Beginning in 2019, Takase started working as a hostess at a bar on the island. Yanase, who is married with children, was a customer. The two began dating around the following year.

Takase left the island in 2023. However, she remained in a relationship with Yanase while continuing to work as a hostess in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

In September last year, she left her dormitory in Shimoda saying she was going to Oshima to see her boyfriend and then to Okinawa Prefecture for a trip with friends. Her whereabouts became unknown after that.

Records show that Takase took a ferry to Oshima on September 9. Two days later, she used a communications device at Yanase’s home to book a ticket for a ferry that was leaving Oshima on September 12. However, she was not on that ferry. She also booked a hotel room in Okinawa.

The body of Shizuka Takase was found on Oshima Island on October 23 (X)

Troubled relationship

According to investigators, the relationship between Yanase and Takase was fraught with trouble, with the suspect transferring tens of thousands of yen a month to Takase’s account since around May of last year, reports Jiji Press (Jan. 25).

After the pair met at the bar, Takase began living at Yanase’s residence on the island. In September 2023, the suspect consulted with Oshima Police Station, saying he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend. Takase left the island shortly after.

The suspect also consulted with the police in May of last year, saying that Takase was persistently calling him. After that, some sort of agreement was signed between the two. Thereafter, the suspect began giving money to Takase.

The suspect is believed to have had close relationships with other women besides Takase.

A woman in her 70s who lives on the island and knew the couple well had asked Yanase about Takase’s disappearance. However, the suspect told her that he knew nothing about it. The woman told the Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 26), “Sota was a kind, cheerful boy who would talk to women a lot. I’m so shocked I can’t sleep at night.”