Society | May 19

Young widow to be indicted for killing Japanese 'Don Juan'

May 19 (Japan Today) - Prosecutors have decided to indict a 25-year-old woman suspected of the murder around three years ago of her wealthy elderly husband who was known as the "Don Juan" of his locality in western Japan, investigative sources said Tuesday.

Saki Sudo, who is set to be indicted on Wednesday's deadline for her detention, was arrested on April 28 for allegedly causing Kosuke Nozaki, 77, president of a liquor sales company and real estate business, to ingest a lethal amount of an illegal stimulant drug in May 2018 only three months into their marriage, with the deliberate intent to kill him.

Nozaki's suspicious death attracted attention as he had gained notoriety for publishing an autobiography titled "Don Juan of Kishu: The Man Who Gave 3 Billion Yen to 4,000 Beautiful Women" in 2016, likening himself to the mythical Spanish playboy.

According to the sources, analysis of Sudo's smartphone revealed that prior to the incident she had searched for information about stimulants and how to make a murder look like someone had died of an illness.

Location data on the phone also revealed that Sudo had been in the same place in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, at roughly the same time as a trafficker suspected to have provided the drug to her.

Security camera footage of Nozaki's house also did not show any other person entering or leaving during the four hours before and after dinner that he was alone with Sudo, when he is presumed to have ingested the stimulant drug.


MORE Society NEWS

Bloodstains have been found inside a car belonging to a 25-year-old man arrested over last week's discovery of two burnt bodies on a riverside north of Tokyo, investigative sources said Monday. (Kyodo)

The Nagoya District Court delivered a severe sentence on Monday to Mai Watanabe, 25, who operated under the alias "Itadakijoshi Riri-chan (Riri the sugar baby)" and was charged with fraudulently obtaining cash from men. She has been sentenced to nine years in prison and fined 8 million yen.

The official Instagram account of the Imperial Household Agency, launched on April 1, has been actively sharing updates about the activities of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress.

POPULAR NEWS

A cherry tree located at one of Kyoto's busiest pedestrian streets, Sanneizaka, a main pathway to Kiyomizu Temple, suddenly fell at 11:45 AM on Tuesday, trapping a school teacher beneath.

The biannual Spring Garden Party, hosted by the Emperor and Empress, took place at Tokyo's Akasaka Imperial Garden on Tuesday, with Princess Aiko gracing the event, warmly engaging with the guests.

The site of the former Tsukiji Market is set for a major transformation, including a stadium with a capacity of 50,000 people and a launch pad for flying cars.

The Nagoya District Court delivered a severe sentence on Monday to Mai Watanabe, 25, who operated under the alias "Itadakijoshi Riri-chan (Riri the sugar baby)" and was charged with fraudulently obtaining cash from men. She has been sentenced to nine years in prison and fined 8 million yen.

In a historic move, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has issued its first administrative sanction against American tech giant Google.

FOLLOW US