The man accused of hacking other people's computers to make a series of violent threats in 2012 maintained his "absolute innocence" as his trial opened Wednesday at the Tokyo District Court.
Yusuke Katayama, a former employee of a Tokyo information technology company, was arrested in February 2013 on suspicion of remotely manipulating other people's computers to threaten violence, including mass murder, causing severe business obstructions.
The threats included killing kindergartners and "otaku" participants in an amateur manga market event. In one instance, Katayama allegedly announced he would bomb a New York-bound Japan Airlines jet, prompting the carrier to halt a flight halfway, costing JAL ¥9.75 million.