Last April, the government abolished the statute of limitations for murder, which was 25 years for killings punishable by death and 15 years for others. The new law will not affect cases that had already lapsed before it went into effect. Its purpose, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, is "to arrest as many perpetrators as possible."
Consequently, the police will need some assistance. "Terebi Kokai Sosa: Shimei Tehai 2" ("TV Open Investigation: The Most Wanted 2"; TV Tokyo, Mon., 8 p.m.) solicits help from viewers in locating and capturing criminal suspects. There are 1,200 names on the police's Most Wanted list. More than half have been on the list for at least three years.
Among the fugitives described on the show is Toshikazu Koike, who is wanted in connection with the murder of two men in Tokushima in 2001. There is also Katsuyuki Obara, who is suspected of killing a 17-year-old girl in Iwate.