TOKYO (TR) – The Tokyo District Court has handed down 30-year prison sentences to two men for their roles in the gruesome murder of a wealthy restaurant-owning couple whose burned bodies were found dumped in a Tochigi Prefecture forest, reports Fuji News Network (July 3).
The ruling marks the first sentences in a sprawling, high-profile case that has resulted in the arrest and indictment of seven people — including the victims’ own daughter and her common-law husband, who are accused of masterminding the hit.
The grim discovery was made in April 2024 in the mountains of Nasu town. The victims, Ryutaro Takarajima and his wife Sachiko, operated multiple dining establishments in Tokyo’s bustling Ueno district.
According to prosecutors, the couple’s 33-year-old daughter, Manami Takarajima, and her common-law husband, Seiha Sekine, orchestrated the murder following bitter disputes with her parents over the management direction of their restaurant empire.
“I couldn’t refuse”
The July 3 court proceedings focused on two men who arranged the dirty work: Hikaru Sasaki, 30, and Ryoken Hirayama, 27.
Sasaki acted as the coordinator, taking direct orders from Sekine to arrange the murders and the disposal of the corpses. Hirayama served as a middleman, passing the kill order to two younger men — Kirato Wakayama and Kang Gwang-gi — who allegedly carried out the actual killings.
During the trial, Sasaki fully admitted to the charges, claiming he was coerced into the plot by Sekine, whom he viewed as a powerful, untouchable figure in Ueno’s nightlife district.
“I couldn’t refuse because he brought up my family,” Sasaki testified. “He told me that if I refused, my family would suffer the same fate.” Sasaki added that crossing Sekine would have meant he could no longer work in Ueno.
“I deeply apologize”
Meanwhile, the middleman, Hirayama, partially denied the charges, arguing he was merely following orders from above. However, he offered an apology in court, stating, “I deeply apologize for taking precious lives and inflicting wounds on the bereaved family that will never heal.”
Prosecutors had sought life imprisonment for both men. However, the presiding judge opted for 30-year terms, noting the gravity of their involvement.
“Neither defendant had any prior relationship with the victims before this incident,” the presiding judge stated, “yet they played necessary roles in the realization of these crimes.”
Trials for the remaining five defendants, including the victims’ daughter and the alleged hitmen, are pending.
