SHIGA (TR) – Prosecutors here have demanded life imprisonment for a 29-year-old former sex industry worker accused of strangling a client and dumping his body in Lake Biwa to escape a massive debt accrued from partying at host clubs, reports the Sankei Shimbun (June 11).
Yui Ichihashi, a former resident of Kitanagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, is charged with robbery-murder and the abandoning a corpse.
Between January 15 and 23, 2024, Ichihashi conspired with 47-year-old Toru Kato, one of her customers, to break into the home of 55-year-old real estate agent Masami Niwa. The pair stole Niwa’s cash cards before strangling him with an extension cord and dumping his body into Lake Biwa in Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture.
They also used the cash card to withdraw 4 million yen from an ATM.
Ichihashi admitted to the charges during her first hearing.
During the trial at the Otsu District Court, it was revealed that Ichihashi had accumulated staggering debts to fund her extravagant spending at host clubs. The victim, Niwa, who was also a patron of her shop, had been pressing her to repay a 24-million-yen loan.
In their closing arguments on Monday, prosecutors condemned the killing as “relentless and cruel,” emphasizing that the attackers deliberately finished the victim off after he survived the initial strangling. They blasted her motive as completely “selfish and driven by greed,” centered entirely on paying off her host club debts.
Meanwhile, the defense team pleaded for leniency, requesting a 20-year sentence. They argued that because of her youth, it is important to leave room for the possibility of her future rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
In her final statement to the court, Ichihashi said, “I want to reflect on my actions moving forward.”
The court is scheduled to hand down its verdict on June 16.
