WAKAYAMA (TR) – Five years ago, the bodies of two men were found on a beach in the town of Hirokawa with their wrists tied together.
Police on Tuesday arrested fortuneteller Toshie Hamada, 62, and accomplice Naori Takitani, 59, for instigating Kohei Teramoto and Ichiro Yoneda to commit suicide off that beach in 2020, reports the Asahi Shimhun (Mar. 11).
Hamada, a resident of Kawachinagano City, Osaka, presided over what was essentially a cult. Seemingly capable of mind control, she claimed to be “the Creator.”
Teramoto, a 66-year-old former vice president of a company, and part-time worker Yoneda, 51, become followers around 2008 after seeking advice from her through her web site. They then began making donations.
The suspects are alleged to have verbally instigated the pair to take their lives. One of them said, “Throw away your lives and remove evil.”
Police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to the allegations.
“Give away all his assets”
The bodies of the Teramoto and Yoneda were found on August 1, 2020. A microphone cord had been used to tie their wrists together.
The results of autopsies conducted on the bodies revealed the cause of death to be drowning. Wakayama Prefectural Police, which were initially in charge of the investigation, determined that there was no evidence of foul play.
The case surfaced in 2024. In May, a third man, who sought fortunetelling services from Hamada, consulted with Osaka Prefectural Police, saying that the suspect had extorted him out of tens of millions of yen.
The third man went to police after Hamada referred to Teramoto and Yoneda when she spoke to him: “Ichiro and Kohei are no more. They’re dead. So you should prepare yourself too.”
On January 28, Osaka police arrested Hamada and Takitani, who lives in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of blackmailing the third man. They were indicted on March 11.
She is alleged to have extorted a total of approximately 80 million yen from the man. She demanded that he “give away all his assets.”
During that investigation, the third man revealed that he used his smartphone to record conversations between Hamada and others, which suggested that they had encouraged Teramoto and Yondeda to commit suicide.
A person who knows the third man told the Mainichi Shimbun (Mar. 11), “[He] was trembling and said [about Hamada], ‘She’s a demon… a devil…’ What on earth did she do?”
“I have to follow it”
Police had previously arrested Hamada and Takitani on suspicion of forging a suicide note in the name of former vice president Teramoto. “I couldn’t get any work because of the corona recession, and my dreams were shattered,” one of them falsely wrote.
The suicide note also said that he would leave posthumous procedures to be handled by another follower of Hamada. When questioned before their arrest, one of the suspects said they “falsified it to camouflage” their involvement.
According to an acquaintance of Teramoto, he went independent after working for a major electronics manufacturer. He later worked on developing high-quality speakers.
The acquaintance recalled, “He wasn’t the type of person who would commit suicide, so I was surprised when I heard that he had passed away. I wondered why he was in financial trouble.”
When the police arrested Hamada in January for extortion, she revealed about Teramoto, Yoneda and Takitani, “We made a plan to die together and entered the sea.”
Takitani said, “I carried the two who died to the shore. If [Hamada] tells me to [do something], I have to follow it.”
