News On Japan

Teen Suspect in Fatal Stabbing Bought Deadly Monkshood Seeds

CHIBA, May 20 (News On Japan) - A 15-year-old junior high school student arrested for fatally stabbing an 84-year-old woman on a street in Chiba City was found to have purchased 'monkshood' seeds of the highly toxic plant aconite before the incident, according to police.

The boy, a third-year student at a junior high school, is suspected of stabbing Hachio Takahashi, a local resident, in the back with a bladed object on a street in Wakaba Ward, Chiba City, on May 11th.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the boy had obtained seeds of the poisonous plant prior to the killing. During ongoing guidance sessions with police, which had been conducted regularly, the boy’s father reported that his son had bought the aconite seeds and that he had confiscated them.

The boy reportedly told police he had purchased the seeds "for an experiment." During questioning, he also made statements suggesting he "wanted to kill his family," prompting investigators to carefully examine the motive behind the attack.

Native to mountainous regions across the Northern Hemisphere, monkshood is striking in appearance, often bearing deep purple or blue flowers that resemble the hood of a medieval monk—hence the name. While beautiful, the plant has a deadly reputation. All parts of the plant, including the seeds, are highly poisonous due to the presence of alkaloids such as aconitine, which interfere with the normal function of the nervous system. Ingestion, or even skin contact in high enough quantities, can cause symptoms ranging from numbness and nausea to cardiac arrest and death.

Historically, monkshood has played a dual role in human culture: both feared and revered. In ancient times, its poison was used on arrow tips in hunting and warfare. Greek and Roman texts describe it as a tool of execution and witchcraft, and in medieval Europe, it was associated with magic, often cited in folklore as an ingredient in witches’ brews. Despite its dangers, aconite has also had a limited role in traditional medicine, especially in Chinese and Ayurvedic practices, where it was used—only after careful processing—to treat ailments such as joint pain, fever, and heart conditions. Modern medicine has largely moved away from its use due to the narrow margin between therapeutic and lethal doses.

Today, monkshood is primarily known as a garden ornamental and a botanical curiosity rather than a useful herb. Gardeners grow it for its aesthetic appeal but are warned to handle it with gloves and keep it away from children and pets. Its toxicity remains a matter of concern for forensic scientists and toxicologists, as cases of accidental or deliberate poisoning still occur. The seeds, in particular, are small and inconspicuous but carry a concentrated dose of the plant’s active toxins. This has raised red flags in criminal investigations where aconite has been used as a poison, either through ingestion or exposure via wounds.

In legal and forensic circles, monkshood seeds have been recognized as a substance that can be weaponized with relative ease, making them a plant of interest in investigations involving suspicious deaths. Their accessibility online or through specialized plant shops has added to the challenge of regulating their use. For those unfamiliar with the plant, monkshood may seem like just another beautiful addition to the garden, but beneath its elegance lies one of nature’s most insidious poisons—potent enough to kill in minute quantities, and historically significant as both a remedy and a murder weapon.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Pension System Reform Law was passed and enacted at the Upper House plenary session on June 13th with majority support from the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Constitutional Democratic Party and others. The law includes measures to expand the coverage of employee pensions by removing the so-called 1.06 million yen income barrier, revising the in-service old-age pension system that reduces pension benefits for working seniors, and raising the cap on employee pension insurance premiums for high-income earners.

A veterinarian in Mie Prefecture has died after treating a cat infected with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), a disease transmitted by ticks and other vectors.

Riding a bicycle while holding an umbrella, a practice often seen during the rainy season in Japan, poses significant danger as it becomes more frequent with the arrival of June rains.

The Diet has passed legislation to establish the Science Council of Japan as an independent corporation, separating it from direct government control.

A car collided with a tour bus on the Fuji Subaru Line near Mount Fuji, leaving six foreign nationals injured. The accident occurred shortly after 10 a.m. on June 11th near the fourth station of the Fuji Subaru Line in Narusawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

The family of an elderly man who died after a key was discovered lodged in his throat while he was hospitalized in Osaka has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging negligence in handling the object.

A car collided with a tour bus on the Fuji Subaru Line near Mount Fuji, leaving six foreign nationals injured. The accident occurred shortly after 10 a.m. on June 11th near the fourth station of the Fuji Subaru Line in Narusawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture.

Japan produces approximately 35,000 adult videos every year, including those streamed online, making it one of the largest adult video industries in the world. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Illegal logging linked to construction projects has been uncovered in Kutchan, Hokkaido, with the cleared forest area reaching approximately 3.9 hectares. In the Tasumi district at the foot of Mount Yotei, a person believed to be of Chinese descent and a construction company had been carrying out logging and building activities since at least 2023.

Two teenagers have been arrested in Tsushima City, Aichi Prefecture, for allegedly firing an airsoft gun at an elementary school boy riding a bicycle.

A total of five individuals, including senior figures from organized crime groups, have been arrested on suspicion of reserving a hotel room without disclosing their ties to criminal organizations. Authorities believe the site was used to conduct an alliance ceremony between a Japanese gang and the Hong Kong-based mafia group known as 14K.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have made the first arrest in Japan using a new investigative method known as "undercover identity investigation," in which officers apply for illegal jobs using fabricated IDs.

A 75-year-old man was arrested on June 5th at a hospital in Chiba City for stabbing a doctor during a consultation. The suspect, Fukoyoshi Nobe, is being held on charges of attempted murder after he slashed a 53-year-old male physician in the neck and other areas with a knife, causing serious injuries.