Tsutomu Miyazaki

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Tsutomu Miyazaki: The Otaku Murderer

Tsutomu Miyazaki was a Japanese serial killer who murdered four young girls in Tokyo and nearby Saitama Prefecture between August 1988 and June 1989. He abducted the girls, aged 4 to 7, killed them in his car, then dismembered their bodies and molested the corpses. He also drank blood from one victim and ate part of another, kept body parts as trophies, and taunted the families of his victims. He was arrested on July 23, 1989 after a father stopped him from taking nude photos of a young girl in a park.

Background
Miyazaki was born on August 21, 1962, in Itsukaichi, Tokyo, into a wealthy family. He had a rare birth defect that affected his arms and hands, which made him feel isolated. He grew up mostly around his grandfather and a nanny, and he often felt ignored by his parents. In 1988, his grandfather died, which worsened his depression. He collected many videos, including anime and horror tapes, and this later gave him the nickname “Otaku Murderer” in the press. Some people blamed his crime on a fantasy world of manga and videos, while others argued that his background did not cause the killings.

The four victims
- Mari Konno, age 4, vanished on August 22, 1988. Miyazaki lured her into his car, killed her, and kept parts of her body. He later sent bones to her family and hid other remains at his home.
- Masami Yoshizawa, age 7, abducted on October 3, 1988. He killed her, then carried out sexual acts with her body.
- Erika Namba, age 4, abducted on December 12, 1988. He took photos in the back of the car, killed her, and disposed of her body in a trunk. A postcard with a cryptic message was sent to her family.
- Ayako Nomoto, age 5, abducted on June 6, 1989. He killed her, dismembered her, and hid parts of her body in different places. He kept her hands and drank blood from one of the remains.

Arrest, trial and punishment
Miyazaki was caught after the park incident and a search of his home found thousands of videotapes, including many of his victims. During the seven‑year trial, he claimed a personal alter ego called “Rat Man” forced him to kill, but experts disputed whether he was mentally unable to understand right from wrong. The court found him aware of his actions and responsible for them. He was sentenced to death on April 14, 1997, and his sentence was upheld by higher courts. Miyazaki described his murders as an “act of benevolence.” He was executed by hanging on June 17, 2008, at Tokyo Detention House after the justice minister signed his death warrant.

Impact
Miyazaki’s case shocked Japan and sparked a moral panic about otaku culture—fans of anime and manga. Some people blamed media and certain subcultures for contributing to his crimes, though experts and researchers debated these claims.