Man Gets 16 Years for Murder of Livestreamer in Tokyo

Tokyo, July 15 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo District Court sentenced a 44-year-old man to 16 years in prison Wednesday for fatally stabbing a 22-year-old woman while she was livestreaming on a Tokyo street last year. Kenichi Takano was found guilty of murdering Airi Sato in the Takadanobaba district of Shinjuku Ward on March 11, 2025. The 16-year sentence came against prosecutors’ request for a 20-year prison term. Presiding Judge Shunichi Ido described the murder as “a cruel crime that caused enormous pain and suffering” to the victim. According to the ruling, Takano stabbed Sato at least 55 times in the face and chest after she failed to repay most of the 2.55 million yen she had borrowed from him. The two met through Sato’s video streaming. The judge said that it is hard to believe that Takano did not have an intent to kill because he repeatedly stabbed her with no hesitation even after she fell to the ground and said, “Is she dead?” During his lay judge trial, Takano claimed that he wanted to publicly reveal their money issue through the attack. However, the judge acknowledged that he understated his emotions and that it was difficult to take his words literally. On the other hand, the judge noted that Takano had become mentally cornered after losing contact with Sato, and concluded that, although the crime was extremely malicious, there was room for sympathy toward him. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]