HOKKAIDO, May 02, 2026 (News On Japan) - A zoo employee in Hokkaido was sent to prosecutors on May 1st after allegedly burning his wife’s body in an incinerator at the facility, with investigators revealing that he had stated prior to his arrest that “she became ashes” after being burned for more than two hours.
Tatsuya Suzuki, a 33-year-old employee at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa City, is suspected of burning and damaging the body of his wife, Yui, in the zoo’s incinerator around March 31st.
Authorities have recovered parts of Yui’s remains from the incinerator.
According to investigative sources, Suzuki told police during voluntary questioning before his arrest that he had “burned [the body] for over two hours” and that “my wife became ashes.”
Based on his statements, investigators searched the zoo grounds and discovered what is believed to be Yui’s smartphone.
Security camera footage from around 9 p.m. on March 31st shows Suzuki arriving at the zoo by car and unloading a package approximately one meter in size.
Police believe Suzuki transported Yui’s body to the zoo at that time, transferred it to another vehicle within the premises, and then burned it in the incinerator, and are continuing their investigation.
Source: HBCニュース 北海道放送
