Man arrested over abduction of high school girl found dead in Aokigahara forest
Saitama police have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of luring and abducting a high school girl who was found dead in Aokigahara Jukai forest in Yamanashi Prefecture near Mount Fuji.
Yuto Kakuma of the city of Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture, whose occupation is unknown, has admitted to the allegations, telling investigators, 'I took her with me so we could commit suicide together.' He was sent to prosecutors Monday.
According to police, the girl had left her home in Saitama Prefecture at around 8 a.m. on June 8, telling her family she was going to school. She was later reported missing. Police said a note suggesting suicidal intent was found in her bedroom.
The two are believed to have connected via social media, and investigators are looking into the possibility of Kakuma having aided in the girl's death.
Citing investigative sources, NHK reported that the suspect had searched for info on suicide partners and the Aokigahara Jukai forest using his smartphone before the incident and also searched for info on people who went missing from Saitama Prefecture after the incident.
Police allege that Kakuma abducted the girl sometime between 9 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. on June 8, walking with her from a street near Fujikyu Railway's Kawaguchiko Station to a parking lot in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture.
A tourist discovered the girl's body in the forest on June 15. Surveillance footage from the night of June 8 shows the pair walking toward the forest, with Kakuma seen leaving the area alone at around 8 a.m. the following day, police said.
Translated by The Japan Times. If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 119 in Japan for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. You can also visit telljp.com. For those in other countries, visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for a detailed list of resources and assistance.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
Teen referred to prosecutors over condom prank at Tokyo sushi restaurant
Tokyo police have referred a teenager to prosecutors for performing an unhygienic prank at an outlet of a major conveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain earlier this year. The 16-year-old boy was a high school student at the time living in Kita Ward, Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department officials say the teenager took a video of his friend placing an unwrapped condom in a chute used to return empty plates at a Kura Sushi restaurant in Toshima Ward. The video went viral in March after the boy shared it online. The sushi chain's business was obstructed as it had to disinfect the outlet and respond to customer complaints. The teenager reportedly told police he wanted to see how his friends would react to his prank, and didn't give much thought to possible consequences. Kura Sushi told NHK that it has been cooperated with the police investigation and hopes something like this never happens again.
Japan Times
7 hours ago
- Japan Times
Man arrested over abduction of high school girl found dead in Aokigahara forest
Saitama police have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of luring and abducting a high school girl who was found dead in Aokigahara Jukai forest in Yamanashi Prefecture near Mount Fuji. Yuto Kakuma of the city of Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture, whose occupation is unknown, has admitted to the allegations, telling investigators, 'I took her with me so we could commit suicide together.' He was sent to prosecutors Monday. According to police, the girl had left her home in Saitama Prefecture at around 8 a.m. on June 8, telling her family she was going to school. She was later reported missing. Police said a note suggesting suicidal intent was found in her bedroom. The two are believed to have connected via social media, and investigators are looking into the possibility of Kakuma having aided in the girl's death. Citing investigative sources, NHK reported that the suspect had searched for info on suicide partners and the Aokigahara Jukai forest using his smartphone before the incident and also searched for info on people who went missing from Saitama Prefecture after the incident. Police allege that Kakuma abducted the girl sometime between 9 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. on June 8, walking with her from a street near Fujikyu Railway's Kawaguchiko Station to a parking lot in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. A tourist discovered the girl's body in the forest on June 15. Surveillance footage from the night of June 8 shows the pair walking toward the forest, with Kakuma seen leaving the area alone at around 8 a.m. the following day, police said. Translated by The Japan Times. If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 119 in Japan for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. You can also visit For those in other countries, visit for a detailed list of resources and assistance.
NHK
2 days ago
- NHK
Japan police: cases of sexually explicit deepfakes top 100 in 2024
Japan's National Police Agency has told NHK that in 2024 they discovered more than 100 cases of sexually explicit fake images depicting underage children. So-called "deep-fake" pornographic images created with generative AI and image-creating apps are a major issue worldwide. Japan is no exception. Last year, police received more than 100 reports of such cases and consultation requests. Of those, at least 17 were confirmed to involve generative AI-created images, and 15 cases involved images created by classmates or others who knew the person depicted in the images. In some cases, creators of such images have been charged. A case has been sent to prosecutors involving a male junior high student who created a nude image of a fully-dressed girl in his class. He is suspected of committing defamation, after distributing the fake image to several classmates on a social media platform. Another case involves a man who used generative AI to merge a photo of a school-age girl that he surreptitiously took at a convenience store into an image of a naked adult woman. He was arrested after entering a building for the purpose of voyeurism. In another case, a suspect misused a yearbook. The National Police Agency says reported cases are probably just the tip of the iceberg. It is offering support to such victims, and say they will deal with cases based on law and evidence. The agency plans to share the cases of sexually explicit deepfake images with experts and relevant government officials and consider how to protect youth from such abuse.
