Criminal-Incidents-in-Chiba-Prefecture-c

A Vietnamese girl’s body is found near a bridge in Abiko, and police say she was murdered. A murder case has been opened and a search is underway.

The death investigation system in Japan is undergoing great transformation as the government is paying more attention to cases where causes of deaths are overlooked. This change has been evident especially in Chiba prefecture, where the number of forensic autopsies increased significantly over the past decade. 刑事事件　埼玉 analyzed the trends of these autopsies in order to understand why this increase occurred and how it affects criminal investigations.

Tatsuya Ichihashi was convicted of raping and killing 22-year-old British teacher Lindsay Hawker in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison, closing one of the most high profile criminal incidents in recent history. His ability to evade capture, including performing cosmetic surgery on himself, made the case famous around the world and provoked debate over the continued presence of U.S servicemen in Japan.

AUM Shinrikyo members carry out the simultaneous attack on multiple trains using sarin nerve gas, killing 12 people and injuring more than 1000. The incident is viewed as the beginning of the end for the group, and AUM leader Asahara Shoko was arrested in massive raids that year.

Two men rob a woman in her 30s at the entrance to her home in Matsudo, Chiba, by repeatedly hitting her on the head with a hard object and then leaving with her car. The suspects allegedly did so because they were after her car for the insurance money.

Matsudo police have launched an investigation into the murder of a Chinese woman who was killed by her attackers at the entrance to her house last week. The victim’s family has asked the police to find the two perpetrators.

CHIBA—On Oct. 7, the day after her murder, a 66-year-old woman was found dead in her home in the central city of Chiba. She was hit on the head several times and died from blunt force trauma. Police have not found any evidence of a forced entry and are searching for the culprits.

On Jan. 12, two men posing as customers entered a secondhand store in the town of Oamishirasato in western Chiba and assaulted the manager, aged in his 70s, before stealing cash, gold and electronics. The victims were relatives of Watanabe Imamura, Tadashi Fujita and Yusuke Watanabe, who are suspected of planning the robbery via encrypted messaging app.

The United States State Department advises Americans to exercise normal precautions when traveling to Chiba. While the crime rate in Chiba is low, pickpocketing and purse snatching do occur so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Public spaces are well-lit, there is a reliable public transportation system and police are visible in most areas. Be particularly careful in less busy areas and late night. For more information, please check the US State Department’s full travel advisory. You can also sign up for Ground News’ ANPIC, a service that collects and aggregates safety information from overseas students studying in Japan.