Japanese police investigating mass murder at tourist hotspot
Six bodies discovered alongside bloody machete at family home, while seventh corpse found in nearby river

Police in Japan are investigating an apparent mass killing of a family at a home near a popular tourist hotspot.
Six bodies were found at the property in Miyazaki province, close to the scenic Takachiho Gorge. A seventh corpse discovered around two miles away beneath a bridge is also thought to have been connected to the incident.
Concerned relatives raised the alarm yesterday after they were unable to contact the family, The Japan Times reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Officers arrived at the family home owned by 72-year-old Yasuo Iihoshi and his wife Mihoko, 66, to find the couple dead, along with their 41-year-old daughter-in-law Mikiko, grandchildren Takumi, 21, and Yui, 7, and 44-year-old family friend Fumiaki Matsuoka.
“Some of the bodies had knife wounds and a bloodstained machete was found at the site,” The Mainichi reports.
The seventh body, retrieved from the nearby Gokasegawa river, is believed to be that of their 42-year-old son, Masahiro Iihoshi.
Police are investigating the incident as a potential murder-suicide, and say they believe that “family trouble” was the trigger for the massacre.
Family friend Matsuoka had told his father that he was going to to the Iihoshi residence to “mediate” an unspecified conflict on Sunday, but did not return. His father contacted police yesterday, as did a relative of the Iihoshi family whose calls to the house went unanswered.
The gruesome crime has become headline news in Japan, which “ranks as one of the safest countries in the world to live, has a very low murder rate and mass killings are rare”, says CNN.
“I still can't believe this has happened,” a local man told The Mainichi. “I want to know the truth behind it.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Tuberculosis is seeing a resurgence, and it's only going to get worse
Under the radar The spread of the deadly infection is buoyed by global unrest
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku hard: April 03, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Codeword: April 3, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Data blunders put Japan's after-work boozing culture in the spotlight
Under The Radar Excessive alcohol consumption and an analogue work culture combine to create a recipe for disaster when it comes to sensitive files
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published