Wave of dismemberments
The week's news at a glance.
Tokyo
Japanese crime victims are turning up all over the country missing heads or limbs. It’s not a serial killer’s spree: The perpetrators are disturbed individuals who quickly confess. One woman conked her cheating husband on the head with a wine bottle and then cut him up and scattered the pieces across Tokyo. A man chopped up his sister after she mocked him for failing a dental school exam. And a teenage boy killed his mother as she slept, sawed off her head, and brought it to police. Some Japanese commentators blame the bizarre crime wave on violent movies, while others point to a growing sense of alienation and powerlessness. “These recent murders are about self–validation,” said Jinsuke Kageyama, a criminal psychologist. “People murder someone in order to fulfill an ‘empty self.’”
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
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Chicken with Steph's spice
The Week Recommends This Caribbean-inspired recipe is mouthwateringly delicious
By The Week UK Published
-
A peaceful seaside village in Turkey
The Week Recommends Çıralı has been spared the 'scourge' of all-inclusive resort development
By The Week UK Published
-
Tax plans spell trouble in the North Sea
Talking Point Labour’s tax plans are whipping up a storm. Are the worries of opponents justified?
By The Week UK Published