Police said Thursday they believe the same blunt object was used to bludgeon to death five people in their homes Sunday and Monday in the mountain hamlet of Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Victims Makoto Sadamori, 71, and his wife, Kiyoko, 72, were found Sunday night in their home, which was torched after the slayings. The corpse of Miyako Yamamoto, 79, was found in her gutted home around the same time.
Around noon Monday, police found the bodies of Satoko Kawamura, 73, and Fumito Ishimura, 80, in their nearby homes. All appeared to have been repeatedly struck on the head by the same weapon, which has not been found.