A rightwing extremist arrested over the murder of Lower House member Koki Ishii has told police that he staked out the victim's office and home for several days, intending to kill the lawmaker as soon as the chance arose, investigative sources said Tuesday.
Hakusui Ito, 48, allegedly stabbed the 61-year-old opposition lawmaker to death in front of Ishii's house in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Oct. 25. Ito turned himself in to police the following day.
Investigators quoted Ito as saying he "watched Ishii's house and the Diet members' office complex (in Nagata-cho) almost every day" (after being evicted from his apartment Oct. 17), so that he could commit the crime whenever there was a chance.