The Nagano District Court, presided over by Judge Masafumi Sakata, sentenced 34-year-old Masanori Aoki to death. As the ruling was read, Aoki showed no visible emotion.
According to the court’s findings, Aoki stabbed two women who were walking near his home with a knife. He then shot two male police officers who responded to the scene with a hunting rifle. Afterward, he barricaded himself inside his house. During the standoff, reporters observed movement inside the property.
Investigators determined that the killings were driven by a delusional belief rooted in Aoki’s resentment over being called “botchi” — a slang term referring to someone who is isolated or has no friends. Aoki had dropped out of a university in Tokyo and returned to his parents’ home, maintaining minimal contact with those around him. He had previously attacked a coworker after claiming to have been called “botchi” at work.
During the standoff, Aoki told his mother, “They were chatting and calling me ‘botchi’ while on their walk, so I stabbed them. The police did nothing even though I was being called ‘botchi.’”
The main issue at trial was whether Aoki possessed criminal responsibility. Prosecutors argued that he retained the ability to control his actions and sought the death penalty. Conversely, the defense claimed he was suffering from diminished capacity, which impaired his understanding of right and wrong.
Throughout the trial, Aoki remained silent until his final statement, where he declared, “I am an otherworldly being. I came here to kill people and be sentenced to death.”
In delivering the verdict, Judge Sakata concluded, “The rampage was the result of the defendant’s own will and judgment, and nothing short of the death penalty is appropriate.”
The defense has announced plans to appeal the ruling.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147269.php
