What we know so far about the case of the burned couple in Tochigi

The details of what happened to a Tokyo couple whose bodies were burned in Tochigi Prefecture are starting to become clearer following the arrest on Monday of their daughter’s common-law husband, the suspected mastermind, according to police sources.

So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Ryutaro Takarajima, a 55-year-old business owner, and his wife, Sachiko, 56, who were found dead in mid-April.

A joint investigation team consisting of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Tochigi Prefectural Police suspect that Seiha Sekine, the 32-year-old husband of the couple's eldest daughter, orchestrated the murder and conspired with five other suspects.

He has denied any involvement in the murder, according to the police.

Before Sekine’s arrest, investigators were having difficulty getting a full picture of the case, as those initially suspected of carrying out the murders, who were first arrested, had never previously met the couple.

The Takarajimas owned dozens of restaurants in Tokyo’s bustling Ueno district. Sekine was a manager at the company and was reportedly dissatisfied with the management of the restaurants. This may have been the motive for the murder, according to investigators.

Sekine has also been friends with one of the suspects, Ryo Maeda, a 36-year-old real estate executive, for more than a decade. Sekine and Maeda, who was arrested soon after Sekine’s arrest, knew the couple personally, police said.

Sekine’s relationship with the four other suspects remains unclear, but police suspect that they were motivated by rewards promised to them. They are: Hikaru Sasaki, 28, whose occupation is unknown; 25-year-old construction worker Ryoken Hirayama; 20-year-old former child actor Kirato Wakayama; and a 20-year-old South Korean national, Kang Gwang-gi.

These four individuals met at a club in Shibuya late last year and had a superficial relationship, not knowing each other’s full names.

Seiha Sekine (left) and Ryutaro Takarajima (right) are pictured together in this undated photo. | JIJI

The murder came to light on April 16, when the two burned bodies belonging to the Takarajimas were found on a riverbed in the town of Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture. Both bodies had plastic bags over their heads with adhesive tape wrapped around them, while their hands and feet were bound with tape.

The cause of death for both was determined to be suffocation due to the compression of the neck.

According to investigative sources, surveillance camera footage showed the couple walking with Maeda in Ueno on the night of April 15. They left Ueno together in a car rented by Maeda and met up with Sekine near Gotanda Station.

Together, they went to view a property in Higashi-Shinagawa in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward. Security cameras in the area showed Ryutaro Takarajima relaxing with both suspects, smoking cigarettes and admiring the night view.

Afterward, they left for another vacant house in the same district managed by Maeda at around 11.30 p.m., where the Takarajimas were allegedly attacked by Kang and Wakayama, the police said.

In voluntary questioning before his arrest, Maeda reportedly told police that Takarajima told him that he wanted to go see a property and asked him to drive him there. However, the investigators believe that the suspect was aware of what was going to happen to the couple and are working to back up their suspicions.

Maeda said that he and the couple went to an empty house for a property viewing, but he fled when they were attacked in the house’s garage. Meanwhile, Sekine said that he had driven around the area in his own car but did not go with them to the house.

According to investigators, Sekine has been in a relationship with Takarajima's eldest daughter for several years and was hired as a manager by the couple in light of his status as their daughter's common-law husband.

Sekine’s relationship with the couple, however, appears to have been strained. According to workers of stores neighboring the Takarajimas' restaurants, Sekine often complained about the couple. He was also apparently uncomfortable with their wish to see his child frequently.

"(Sachiko Takarajima) told me that if there aren't enough employees, I should work, but it's impossible without using a cloning technique," Sekine reportedly said to employees of a store nearby.

The police also revealed that both Sekine and Maeda said that they met each other as employees and customers of a restaurant more than 10 years ago and that they are close friends.

Prior to Sekine’s involvement with his common-law wife, Maeda had met Ryutaro and Sachiko Takarajima for work and had business dealings with them on two or three occasions.