TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police this week arrested the male owner of a Chinese restaurant in Nakano Ward following the discovery of his father’s corpse in their residence.
Just prior to the apprehension of 56-year-old Nobuhiko Suzuki earlier this month, he had attempted suicide, according to the Nakano Police Station, reports Jiji Press (Apr. 17).
From around January 2023 to April 6, Suzuki allegedly hid the body of his father, Keigo, aged in his 80s, in the closet of the residence, located in the Yayoicho area.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of abandoning a corpse, Suzuki admitted to the allegations. “When I got home, my father was collapsed. It was too much hassle to hold a funeral,” he told police.
“I dealt with it by using insecticide and deodorants”
The discovery took place on April 6. A resident living near the Chinese restaurant visited a police box nearby. “The restaurant has not been open for about a week,” the person said.
A police officer who visited the apartment discovered Suzuki bleeding from his neck following a suicided attempt. After revealing that his father was dead, he said, “I hid him in the closet.” A search of the premises revealed skeletal remains in a closet.
When asked why he abandoned his father’s body, the suspect said, “When my mother died around 2010, I got tired of dealing with relatives and the police.” He also said, “I felt sorry for my father, but I gradually became numb to it. In the summer, I dealt with it by using insecticide and deodorants.”
The Chinese restaurant was founded by the suspect’s grandfather about 70 years ago. After Keigo retired, the suspect ran it alone. He said, “I ran out of savings, my parents died, and I was pessimistic about my future. So, I attempted suicide.”
The suspect is believed to have stabbed himself five times in the neck with a kitchen knife when he attempted suicide. He was hospitalized thereafter. Police arrested him upon his release on April 14.
