Latest / Minor Mischief Podcast / The Girl They Failed to Save : The Junko Furuta Story
Transcript
- riverside edit 02 recording minor mischief feed: What happens when four teenage boys decide that cruelty is entertainment and fear is a weapon? What also happens when the people who have the power to intervene fail to protect a young girl who desperately needed their help? This is the Minor Mischief Podcast, and this is the girl they failed to save, the Junko Furuta story. Welcome back to the Mind of Mischief Podcast, a true crime podcast where we discuss the crimes of young people. I'm your host and Home Girl for the time being, Mrs. Kiana Amir, and thank you for hanging out with me. I hope you guys are having a great week. I hope you guys are having a great October. I hope a good time is being had by all. Today's story stressed me. Today's story was actually submitted to me by my nephew. He's been begging me to cover this story for months. And because of how dark the story is, I've toiled with covering it. But as my number one fan from literally episode one, I gotta give the kid what he wants. However, after researching this case and after typing this all up, and now as I'm recording this, I'm like, sweet P, are you cool? Are you cool? Do we need to talk? Like I started writing the script and taking the notes and I put it back in my file cabinet. And I started writing again and researching again and I'll put it back. And like, I'm like, let's just talk about anything else. Then he calls me and he's like, So once that episode coming out, you promised me. I was like, this case has to be the worst one that we've covered thus far. And he literally was just like, Yeah, but you covered true crime stories, right? And I'm like, Yeah. But Why this one? I'm not sure, but we're gonna let him have it. Before we get into today's story, I do have to issue a content warning. This episode does discuss kidnapping, sexual assault, torture, and the murder of a teenage girl. Listening discretion is strongly advised. As always, I'm gonna give you the facts as close to what I can find because I think it's important to understand what happened to Junko, but I'm not gonna get into the graphic details. The details of her case are extremely disturbing. And quite frankly, I don't think Junko needs to be brutalized all over again just for us to understand what truly happened to her. So please take care of yourselves after listening. And with that being said, let's get into today's story, shall we? We shall. For today's story, let's pack our bags, make sure our passports are valid, please. That has happened to somebody before. And take an international trip because we're headed over to Japan. More specifically, we're headed to Masato, a city located in Saitama Prefecture, just north of Tokyo. Also, another quick disclaimer. Don't come at me. I'm gonna do the best I can with what I got. I did look up how everything is pronounced, but I also realized that. I'm probably still gonna butcher them just because I'm an American and you know, we have a hard time with that kind of stuff. But so, like, just give me give me a little bit of grace. I did look up how everything is pronounced though and I'm gonna do my best to pronounce them properly. So we're headed to Tokyo. The the year is 1988, and Japan is in the middle of an economic boom. And when I say boom, baby, I mean boom. The country is experiencing what historians now refer to as the Japanese asset price bubble. Businesses are thriving, real estate prices are climbing, and Japan is becoming one of the most economically powerful countries in the entire world. Technology is advancing, people are spinach, spinach, like they are spending money. And in cities like Tokyo, life is moving fast and furious. Japan is quickly becoming internationally recognized for its automobiles. Electronics, fashion, and entertainment, leading it to become the Japan that we know and love today. Now, Misato's a little different from the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo. It's a residential city, part of the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area, with neighborhoods filled with families, schools, and people commuting to and from work. It's the kind of place where teenagers go to school during the day, work part-time jobs in the evening, and they come home to their families at night. As of the 2021 census, Masato holds about 142,835 residents. Today, Masato is known for producing high grade beef, which I think we can all appreciate. Those of us that eat beef anyway, I know you know there may be some vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, chicken eaters out there. But for those of us that eat beef, I know we can appreciate a high grade beef. Misato is also known for big box shopping and malls. It's also known for Thomas Town, which is an indoor theme park that a lot of the residents love. And the Yamaokami Shrine, which is a historic shrine dedicated to easy childbirth and child rearing. I'm good on the childbirth part because maybe I'm done. But the easy child rearing, I need that. There's no manual for these children. They did not come with instructions. Children, I think, are the only things in life that don't come with instructions. Even pets come with instructions most of the time. Like they're just like, Do this, do that, like feed it that you know, and granted results may vary because no matter what people tell me to do with my cat, me and that cat square up every day. But I feel like child rearing, like it's you gotta be strong. You gotta be strong. In Misato, we meet Hiroshi Miyano, Joe Ogura, Shinji Minato, and Yasushi Watanabe, who are our mischief makers. And I swear that by the end of this episode, you are going to want to commit violence against each and every one of them. And Junko Furuto, who is the star of our show, but also unfortunately our victim. Junko Furuto was born on January 18th, 1971, in Japan to her father Akira Furuta and her mother. She grew up in Misato with her parents and her two brothers. And by 1988, she was 17 years old and attending the Yashio Minami High School. Now, from what I was able to find, Junko, she was a pretty good kid. She came from a close-knit family who took pride in her successes and always had her back when it came to her goals and aspirations. She was described as a responsible student who did well academically, attended school regularly. She wasn't out here skipping class regularly like me and some of my high school friends. She had a good reputation among her classmates and her teachers. Junko wasn't out here looking for trouble. She was going to school, working, and preparing for adulthood. She was described to have a bright and bubbly personality. You know the type of girl that lights up a room, grabbed life by the horns, and had a zest for life. She would go to school during the day, and after school, she had a part-time job at a plastics factory. She worked at the plastics factory two days per week because she was saving money for a graduation trip, which I admire honestly. Most kids would leave it up to their parents to figure it out, but not Junko. She did not want to burden the cost of her trip and of her graduation activities. She did not want that to fall upon her parents. So she wanted to help. She picked up a job so she could help out financially. Junko was described as strikingly beautiful. And she she was a very beautiful girl, like very beautiful. with a tall stature. She stood about a hundred and fi sixty five centimeters tall, which roughly translates to about five feet five inches. And listen, I got this information from a Japanese article that I had translated to English and the English was rough, right? but it said she was a hundred it said she was tall. She was 165 centimeters. And I'm just like, is five five tall? Because I'm five eleven. So I'm like I would stick out like a sore thumb. I mean, I already stick out like a sore thumb. Like, I already stick out like a sore thumb. The amount of people that notice me, they're just like, my gosh, I saw you at this place. And I'm just like, Ugh, I wish I was more inconspicuous. But it's like I walk in and I'm super tall and I'm bright and people just notice me. And I hate that for me. But I would have been Godzilla in this story because five five is tall, but that's not why we're here. Junko was getting ready to graduate high school. She was excited. She was excited about having a little freedom, about completing this milestone that she had worked so hard for and planning to celebrate with her friends before life pulls them their separate ways. Also, apparently, during this time in Japan's history, high school violence was at an all time high. So young ladies that kept to themselves and stayed out of trouble like Junko were very rare. Like our friend Junko, she didn't even miss school. In the three years of her high school, she was only absent one or two days. She was absent to school less in three years than I have been at work in three years. Like Baby Girl did not play. She was handling her business. Junko reportedly had a job lined up at an electronics retailer after graduation, and she was preparing for life after high school. She had employment opportunities ahead of her, and she was ready to tackle a new chapter because. She was getting ready to turn 18. Her 18th birthday was scheduled for January 18th, 1989. Now that we've met Junko, let's meet these bastards. And I feel like bastards is too kind of a term, honestly. Hiroshi Miyano was born on April 30th, 1970. His father worked security, and his mother was a piano teacher. He has one sister who was seven years younger than him. Rumor has it that his grandfather and his uncle were executive members of the Yakuza. Hiroshi came from a great home life, allegedly. He wanted for nothing, and his parents made sure he was well taken care of. Until the story goes, his father, I don't know if he met a little side piece at work or if he met a little side piece on the street, but regardless, his father had a little side piece. And so after he started his affair with his little side piece, he wanted to make her the main piece. And he started coming home less and less and less, and then not at all. So Hiroshi was raised by his mother. And She had to raise him on her own because his father wasn't really about nothing because he was out chasing skirt. So his mom was a teacher, and because she needed something to throw her intention into, she's not about to let heartbreak break her now, is she? She became very absorbed in Hiroshi's academic success, making him study from very early in the morning to very late at night. And if Hiroshi did not perform well academically, she was on that ass. Like she abused him. She abused him and constantly. pushed him for better. Unfortunately, had she had a better understanding of the child she was raising, she would have realized that Hiroshi had a learning disability and he would never be able to perform under the circumstances that she placed him in. He needed specialized care. But that didn't matter to her because she was just like, You need to get this and you need to get this now. Eventually, due to an increasing demand on her work schedule, because she was a great piano teacher apparently, Hiroshi's mother, she Had to work longer hours. And what she would do is just let him roam the neighborhood. Like, hey, baby, I'm going to work. Stay out of trouble. And he would just roam the streets until very late at night when she came to pick him up and take him home. Hiroshi, he grew. He became bigger. He became stronger. And so as his mom is beating his ass, he started fighting back. And she started losing, honestly. Like it was to the point where Hiroshi Beat his mom so bad one time, she was almost to the point of death. At this point, his father stepped in and straightened his little heart out. I'm not sure what he did, how he did it. All I know is in the article I read, it said that he was not great to his mom. He would be beating her. And after he almost beat her to death, his father intervened and he stayed with his father from April to October that year. When he went back home after those couple of months, Hiroshi was straightened out. He was like, you know what? I'm gonna go to school. I'm gonna take school seriously. And he even picked a career. He said, you know what? When I get older, I want to become the director of juvenile affairs. So I'm gonna go to school. I'm gonna do what I gotta do, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna be right. Now, the people that he used to roll with, they were just like, I know you have not gone straight. And so they started bullying him and they would torment him. And, you know, they were really on his case. So his parents caught wind of what was happening and they sued. Each and every one of his bullies and their families, which further caused him to be ostracized. And I'm just like, what were they supposed to do? I probably would have sued too. I'm depending on how bad the abuse was. Like, I've heard of stories of kids' parents suing their bullies and winning. So be careful out there, y'all. It's a cruel world. So they sued all of them, and Hiroshi's ostracized at this point. So during his high school years, he's pissed because it's like, I was being bullied. I told you guys about it. You guys handled it. And now I'm being bullied worse. And so he started to retaliate and he started attacking his mother again. He started causing like havoc everywhere around him. He would ride a motorcycle through the school hallways, randomly pick fights with teachers and students. He started a riot one time and beat everybody ass in there. In September 1986, Hiroshi drops out of high school. He's just like, you know what? I I'm good here. This is no good for me. And he finds a job at a towel factory by day. And so he's working. The money at the towel factory isn't cutting it. He's not cutting it. And so he's just like, you know what? I gotta do I gotta move a I gotta shake a little something after hours. So he's working at the towel factory by day. He's working in the mean streets at night. And eventually he's just like, you what? I don't even need my day job because my night job is pulling in so well. And he devoted himself to the streets. He started Really making money. And at the time of our story, Hiroshi was 18 years old. Joe Ogura was born in on May 11th, 1971, to his parents, Akira and Atsuko Ogura. He has one older sister, and Joe's life was a bit different from Hiroshi's because his home life from jump was toxic. And it was rumored that his parents didn't even like each other half the time. So they fought constantly. And eventually they separated. By fourth grade, Joe was already said to be a problem child because he was fighting constantly in school. Like he was punching folks out. Joe was really a menace in these streets of the school hallways. He eventually moved in with his father because his mom was like, you know what? I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what to do. Go ahead and take care of your child. So he moves in with his father for a few months and he starts slowly began turning his life around. In middle school, Joe found his passion in sports and he was a star athlete in his school's track and field club. And that gave him the outlet he really needed because now he was taking the anger that he had towards his home life and placing it into something productive, being track and field. Unfortunately, one year later, he fractured his right leg in a skiing accident and was no longer able to participate in track. With more time on his hands, he found himself a little girlfriend, a little booting, a little, you a little something, something, a little shake and bake, you know? And he takes her home to meet his mom. And his mom was like, Why would you bring that slut in my house? And Joe didn't like that at all. So he assaulted his mother, because he's like, You're not about to talk about my lady. And I'm really trying to figure out what's will all y'all put in your hands on your mothers. Regardless, after this incident, he stopped showing up for school and will only go when he felt like it until 1988 when he was expelled for school for domestic violence against his mother. At this point, he started hanging out at Shinji Minato's house where he met the others. Shinji Minato was born on December 16th, 1972, to his father Yasuto Minato and his mother Yasuko Minato. His father was the secretary general of a local pharmacy and his mother was a charge nurse. He was the youngest of two boys, with his oldest brother being 11 months older than him. By all accounts, Shinji was a good kid in his formative years. Like he was a good kid, but his father was abusive. And so over time, he began to resent his father. And after putting up with the abuse for so long, he was like, I have to fight back. I can't just sit here and take it. Like they said, Shinji's father punished he and his brother to the point of child abuse with instances such as beating them out of their sleep. So what would happen is they were home with their mom typically during the day and dad was at work. And, you know, I'm not sure what the mom's working hours were. What I do know is that They were with mom and then dad would come home later in the evening. So let's just say they go to school, they get out of school at three, mom gets out at four. They're with mom until dad gets home at eight. And so what mom would do is she would basically document everything that they did. Shinji didn't pick up his clothes. Shinji's brother didn't take the dog out. She would document everything that they had done wrong. And so when dad came home, she would basically just hand him this list like take care of your business. And he would beat He would beat them. Like they would be asleep. He would beat them out of their sleep. What do you mean you left your drawers on the floor in the bathroom? There was also another instance where it was super cold. It was a December day. And I don't know what they did to get in trouble this day, but Mr. Minato, he had the boys running in the freezing cold with no shirt on as punishment. So in fifth grade, Shinji had had enough. He had had enough, and so he begins fighting back and began verbally and physically abusing his mother as well as fighting his father. In 1988, Shinji fell in with Hiroshi and Joe, who were already out being gangsters, and his house became the central hangout for the group. By this point, he had fought his parents so much that they were afraid of confronting him. And they basically allowed their house to become the gang's headquarters. They were afraid of the consequences of standing up to Shinji, so they let him be. That same year as he's ruling the house, he's ruling the school, he was expelled from school, although no reason was listed. Last but not least, there is Yasushi Watanabe, who knew the others because get this. Hiroshi was dating his older sister. And Hiroshi apparently was in love with this woman and he had already set his sights on marrying her. He had already saved two million yen or 12,560 United States dollars to buy her a ring and start their lives together. And this is $12,000 in 1980. Eight. Listen, okay. He has saved quite a bit of money. Yusushi Watanabe was born on December 18th, 1971. And like I'll mention, he had one older sister and was raised by both of his parents until 1976 when they separated. In nineteen seventy-eight, his father died tragically in a car crash. Yusushi pretty much stayed to himself after that, but he began being bullied, and the kids were mean to him. Like they would be talking about his dead daddy and everything. It was actually pretty insane. So when his sister started dating Hiroshi, he was taught to stand up for himself because he knew that he had backing at this point. And so he started fighting back and the bullying stopped. In 1986, Yosushi started getting into trouble for petty crimes like theft and vandalism. And he was known to keep that thing on him. Not a gun per se, but he had a knife on him at all times. He started running away and racked up a few domestic violence charges himself, even though I'm not sure who they were against. He dropped out of school in 1987 because his mom signed him up. And basically she tricked him. She was just like, You mind going down to the school or whatever? Whole time she signed him up. And once he realized that the only reason he was going is because she signed him up, he was like, I think the hell not. And so he dropped out and he turned to the street life like the others. Now, if you've heard this case before, you may have seen different ages listed for Shinji and Yosushi. Some English language reports conflict on their exact ages, but what's important for the purpose of storytelling in this episode is that all four were legally considered juveniles under Japanese law at the time of this story. Reports describe the group committing robberies, assaults, and sexual offenses long before Junko enters the picture. They had also become associated with gangs and were reportedly connected, at least loosely, to individuals involved in Japan's organized crime world. I would drag my child by his ankles if he even ever thought that robbery, sexual assault. If we not doing that, I would have the things I would do. Regardless. Now, the group also brag constantly about being on board with the Yakuza. And if you're unfamiliar with the Yakuza, they're Japanese organized crime groups that have historically been involved in activities including extortion, gambling, and other illegal activities. It reminds me of the movie Rush Hour 3. The villains were in the Yakuza in that movie. I haven't seen that movie in years, but I need to go back and watch it. But I remember like the main villain in that movie being a member of the Yakuza. To be clear, the boys said they were. a part of the Yakuza, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were, but they damn sure used it to gain clout in the street. Now, Hiroshi for sure, his uncle and I think his dad or his grandfather, but nobody, like, you know, directly in his life was involved. The boys worked together on their crimes, but the person who appears to have been calling many of the shots was Hiroshi Miyano. He was the oldest of the four and they respected him fiercely. By the time Junko crossed paths with him, he was already involved in serious criminal activity. The boys spent time together at the home belonging to Shinji's family in the ISA area of Tokyo's Adashi ward. It's now Friday, November 25th, 1988. Junko has finished her shift at work and is heading home on her bicycle. She has spent the day at school. She worked her full shift. Big girl was probably tired and probably just wanted to get home and just kind of take her shoes off and sit down. The weekend is here. So, you know, maybe she had plans. I mean, she is in her last year of high school. So as Junko's riding home, she catches the attention of Hiroshi Miyano and Shinji Minato. And they were out basically doing what they do. They were out robbing people. They were out, I mean, they had sexually assaulted a female like literally not long before Junko rode past. And so as they're seeing Junko ride past, they're just like, you know what? Here's what we should do. So Hiroshi tells Shinji, like, listen, knock her off her bicycle, and I'm gonna go up to her and I'm gonna pretend to be a concerned citizen and then I'm gonna kidnap her. And so Shinji's like, okay, bet. So Jungle's riding past, Shinji's on his motorcycle and he kicks her off of her bicycle and keeps going. So she falls to the ground and she is, you know, like confused at this point because what the hell? I'm literally just riding home. So Hiroshi comes up to her and he's just like, man, like, are you okay? Come, let me help you up. Let me dust the gravel off your knees. it's really unsafe out here. Let me help, let me help get you home. And so she's just like, Yeah, like that was really crazy. Yes, if you would like to walk with me. He basically takes her and shoves her into an abandoned warehouse and sexually assaults her. He threatens her by telling her, like, listen. I'm Yakuza. And if you tell anybody, I'm gonna kill your family first, or we're gonna kill your family first, and then we're gonna save you for last. And so she at this point is afraid out of her mind. He calls a taxi to take them to a hotel, and during the hotel stay, he sexually assaults Junko again. And then he further threatens her, like, remember what I said, don't you tell nobody nothing. So Junko at this point, she's extremely frightened and she complies. It's about 3 a.m. now. And her family at this point is extremely worried. So them and a few volunteers, they go out because they're looking to figure out where is she? She's she like you can set your watch to her. She's usually home. She doesn't really stray out. She doesn't do drugs. She doesn't party. She doesn't do any of that stuff. She goes to school, she goes to work, and she comes home. So her family and a few volunteers, a few friends, they're out scouring the streets at this point, trying to figure out where Junko is. At the same time, Her she calls the guys, 'cause obviously they're at Shinji's house. They have nowhere else to be. And he's just like, Okay, I got her. She's very afraid she's not gonna go anywhere. What should I do? And so they're just like, Don't let her go. They're like, Don't let her go. They meet up at this park and each of the boys sexually assault her repeatedly at this park. When they were done, they take her to Shinji's house, they take her upstairs to the second floor, and they lock her in a room and they kept her there. It's now November twenty-seventh, nineteen eighty-eight, and Junko's family calls the authorities to report her missing. They're just like, We have been looking, we have been out, we have scoured the streets, we have searched highways, byways, alleyways, we have looked everywhere. We are still no closer to knowing where she is. And so the police take the report and they're just like, Okay, we'll keep an eye out for her. As word is getting out that Junko's family is looking for her, Hiroshi is just like, you need to call them and tell them that you're okay and that you ran away. And so she's frightened because she's just like, this is my opportunity. Like I'm finally able to be able to say something. And he reminds her, like, remember, if you don't do what I tell you to do, it's gonna be hell for you. And so she complies. She calls home and her parents answer and she's just like, Listen, I'm fine. I ran away and I'm staying at a friend's house. I'm safe. I'm just not coming back home. I don't know how they took this because I couldn't really see anything that was just like, they, you know, knew this wasn't the case or, you know, they fell for it. I don't know. But regardless, Junko was able to call home a few times just to reassure her parents to stop looking for her. Her parents did continue on a search for her. And then at one point, she called them and was just like, you need to call this search off. Like, stop looking for me. Her parents took that. They did call the police and they were just like, She is asking us to call the search off. And the police did. They did. I don't know why they did that. Cause I'm like, I feel like someone should have laid eyes on her. Like, I need a picture of you. I need to physically make sure you are okay. But, you know, this is what happened. The next part of the story we're gonna handle with extreme care because when you research Junko Fruta, you're gonna come across things that are disturbing. You're gonna come across some of the most graphic descriptions of violence that you'll ever see. And there are websites I find that seem to compete with one another for who can be the most disturbing. And I'm just not gonna do that. I'm just never gonna do that. Like I said, the only reason I even covered this story is because my nephew will not get off my back about it. And this is literally my last case suggestion from him. I kid you not. Next time I'm be like, no. Get somebody else to do it. Call crime junkies, perhaps. Junko was held captive for approximately 44 days. During that time, she was repeatedly sexually assaulted. She was beaten relentlessly. She was burned with lighter fluid, candle wax, gasoline. She was threatened. She was subject to other forms of physical abuse. She was deprived of food. She couldn't leave the room. They gave her very minimal food and they gave her pretty much water and milk to drink. She got no medical attention. She had zero communication with the outside world. Initially, when Junko got to the house, the boys told Shinji's parents that Junko was his girlfriend. And once the boys realized that Shinji's parents weren't gonna do anything, they told them the truth. So they were fully aware of what was happening in their house. They knew that their son and his friends had a girl captive. They knew that she was being abused, she was being repeatedly sexually assaulted. She was being tortured and they knew about it. And they did nothing. They did nothing. They could have contacted the police, but they chose not to. They could have told anybody what was happening. Because remember, both of Shinji's parents actually left the house to go to work on a day-to-day basis. They could have told someone at work. Nothing. They did nothing. And so the abuse continued. In early December, Junko was just like, you what? I gotta get out of here. And she tried to escape. Unfortunately, she was caught. And as punishment, the boys took turns punching her in the face, and Hiroshi set her ankles on fire. As December progressed, so did the deterioration of Junko. She was being starved. She was constantly beaten day in, day out. And so her physical condition. went downhill. As time went on, the boys decided to tell their friends and other boys came in and started sexually abusing her. They started beating her up. They started doing all these things. And all this time that Junko was being held captive in this house, Thanksgiving came and went in the US, December arrived, Christmas passed, New Year's Eve came. And while the world was preparing to welcome 1989, Junko was still trapped in that house. With people that were fully aware that she was there and refused to help her. Junko was forced to drink alcohol, she was forced to smoke cigarettes, she was forced to dance nude and entertain the boys, she was forced to perform sexual acts on them, and she was forced to perform sexual acts on herself. Eventually, because of the lack of food, the punishments, constantly being sexually assaulted. Junko had become so weak that she couldn't even stand to leave the room anymore. And so they just brought in a bucket and threw it in there and they were just like, being that you can't leave the room, you could just pee in here. And then at times they would force her to drink her own urine. She was so disfigured due to the beatings and being starved that she could barely stand up. She, with the little bit of energy that she had, begged Shinji's parents for help. And they were so afraid of what Shinji would do to them if they helped her that they did nothing. Now, I've said this once and I will continue to say it until I go on to glory. It will be celebrity death matchup in here if any of my kids ever think that I will ever sit in my house and be afraid of them. We will fight to the finish. It's either me or you. And if you win, Congratulations, you get what you wanted. But if I win, 'cause I'm gonna stop at nothing. I'm gonna stop at nothing. Cause I'm not about to be afraid of you. I'm not about to be afraid of something I created. Ain't no way in hell. I pay the bills here. You don't do nothing in this house, and you think I'm about to be afraid of you? You think I'm a fair you in my own house? It's either you or me. It's either you or me. It's either you or me. And I know I'm not gonna stop until you it's either you or me. That that's all I'm gonna say about that. But what do I know? It's now New Year's Day, and New Year's is one of Japan's most important holidays. Families gather, people visit shrines and temples. There's a strong cultural emphasis on the beginning of the year and even stronger cultural emphasis on beginning the year with loved ones. And while families across Japan were celebrating, Junko's family is still wondering where she is. By this point, Junko's health had deteriorated significantly. She had sustained serious injuries from the repeated violence, from being burned, from being just tortured. That is literally the only way I could describe it. And it was to the point where like her wounds couldn't heal before she got new ones. So they became infected. And like Started emitting like this very foul odor. It's now January 4th, 1989. In Hiroshi, he's out playing Mahjong. And Mahjong, for those of you that aren't familiar, it's like a tile game. Like you get all these tiles and they have like numbers and letters, well, not letters, but numbers, characters, and figures. And the object of the game is to form a set. Whoever forms four complete sets and two eyes wins the game. So Hiroshi's out playing Mahjong and he's betting all his money because he's a dumbass. And he loses. He loses the game. So he's pissed because he's lost all his money. And he gets back to Shinji's house and he is just like, he goes upstairs and he begins taking his frustrations out on Junko. He is beating her over and over and over again to the point where she starts convulsing. He calls the others in and he's just like, Y'all finish the job. And so they come in and they see like her condition. She is like bruised, bloody. So they wrapped their hands and feet in plastic bags and finished beating her up. This went on for two hours. After that, they set her on fire and eventually she stopped moving. Eventually she stopped moving. She tried to faintly crawl herself out of the fire and they hit her again. And she stopped moving. Her body had endured weeks of injuries and she was just in like she was in horrible physical condition. And so on January 4th, 1989, just two weeks before her 18th birthday, Junko Furuta died. Following Junko's death, I guess reality suddenly hit them because they're just like, crap, we are gonna catch a murder charge if something happens. So they wrap her in a blanket, they place the blanket in a travel bag, and they put the bag in a metal drum and filled it with wet concrete. On January 5th, 1989, the drum was transported to a vacant area near a construction site in the Wakasu section of Tokyo's Koto ward, and they left it there. They washed their hands and they went on about their lives. Now you would think, you would think that with all this going on, they would stop. But no, they didn't. They didn't. They went out. And they had sexually assaulted another woman and kidnapped her. And the police at this point, they're investigating that crime. And Hiroshi and Joe were arrested. So the police have them down at the station and they're questioning them. And Joe is just like, I don't know who you're talking about. I'm not sure. I know nothing. And Hiroshi, like I said, because he's a dumbass, they come in and they're just like, What do you know about this girl that was kidnapped and raped? And he's just like, Okay, her body is is in that construction site. And the police are looking at each other like, What? Like, no, she's alive, she's fine, but keep talking. And he confesses everything about what they had done to Junko. And so the police were just like, Okay, now you're definitely under arrest. Investigators followed the information that Hiroshi provided them, and on March twenty-ninth, nineteen eighty-nine, they located the drum containing Junko's remains. She was identified through forensic examination, including fingerprint evidence. And finally, her family would know what happened to her. Investigators began piecing together bit by bit everything that happened to Junko between November twenty-fifth and January fourth, and the full extent of what she had endured came to light. All four boys were arrested and soon the case would move into the Japanese court system. I am of the belief that they should have arrested Shinji's parents too, because why are they still walking free? Junko's funeral was held on April 2nd, 1989. Her family, friends, and classmates gathered to mourn her. According to accounts of her funeral, one of Junko's friends named Kana Mayashita, she read a message that was prepared by her entire class that read, Jun Chen, welcome back. I never dreamed we would meet again like this. You were subjected to such cruelty, weren't you? You went through so much, didn't you? I'm upset with myself that I went on living, unaware of what was happening. You were always so gentle and cheerful, Jun Chun. The happy we made for the cultural festival looked wonderful on you. I'll never forget that. We will absolutely not let Jun Chan's death be in vain. Until we step into adulthood, we'll strive for a world where such heinous crimes no longer exist. We'll do our best keeping Jun Chun in our heart and pushing forward. The principal even brought your diploma. Thanks to this, all 47 of us in class 3-8 were able to graduate. Jun chan, there's no more pain or suffering now. Rest peacefully. Farewell. Children who should have been celebrating graduation and looking forward to their futures. Instead, they were attending the funeral of their friends and learning about all that she really went through during her disappearance. Representatives from her intended employer, because remember, she had already secured a job post grad. They came to her funeral, and the uniform that she would have worn on day one of working, they placed it in her casket. Unfortunately, legal proceedings would introduce an entirely new controversy. Because remember, they're teenagers, and Japan's juvenile laws are a little bit lenient. I don't know if they're like that now, but they were like that for sure back then. At the time of Junko's murder, Japan's legal age of adulthood for juvenile justice purposes was 20. Now, that doesn't mean that a person under 20 could never face serious criminal punishment, but it did mean that they had to go through special legal procedures and protections because of their age. Initially, the identities of the boys were protected because of their ages. Me personally, I have seen this happen a few times over the cases we've discussed where they're just like, no, we have to protect their innocence. We have to redact it due to age. But because of the severity of this crime, I would have had all their business on Front Street. Their pictures would have been blasted. I would not have cared. If I was a reporter, I would not have cared had I if I lost my job. I'd have been like, no, hell no. Y'all gonna learn about this. Y'all weren't worried about your identities while you were torturing Junko. So why would you be worried now? Regardless, the case was so disturbing that some Japanese media outlets published their names anyway. And you that's what I'm talking about. Through a series of unpublished legal proceedings, Hiroshi, Shinji, Joe, and Yasushi were eventually convicted in connection with Junko's abduction, prolonged abuse, and death. In July 1990, the Tokyo District Court handed down their sentences, which were Hiroshi Miyano received 17 years in prison, Joe Ogura received a sentence of five to ten years. Shinji Minato received a sentence of five to nine years and Yasushi Watanabe ultimately received a sentence of five to seven years. Hiroshi appealed his sentence and the judge was like, You got some damn nerve. Take that 17 years and make it 20. Now I understand that we're talking about another country with a completely different legal system. I understand that the law has to be applied according to the rules in place at the time. But to get twenty years for what he did to her. I don't understand. Which brings me to where are they now, child? Y'all, I wish I could tell you that everybody served their time, learned their lesson, and went on to live quiet lives without hurting anybody else. But unfortunately, that's not how this story ends. Hiroshimayano received the longest sentence of the group after his punishment was increased to 20 years. He eventually completed his sentence and was released. Hiroshi's parents did sell their home and paid that money to Junko's parents. He was scheduled to be released in 2004, but due to his cohort's trouble, his release date was pushed back to 2008. Because while his friends were getting released, they were cutting up. So they were just like, you know what? We're gonna hold you a little bit longer just to be sure. In 2009, Hiroshi changed his name and he became Hiroshi Yokoyama. In 2013, he was arrested for bank fraud, but there was not enough evidence to charge him. The people that know him now describe him as peaceful. Like you wouldn't even know he was the ringleader in Junko's kidnapping and murder. You would think he would spend the rest of his life carrying around overwhelming guilt, some remorse, a little a little something, you know, but that's not that's not true. Herol She went on about his life. He became a gym rat. He spent his days going to kickboxing gyms, hanging out with friends, and enjoying nights out on the town. Just living a perfectly normal life. But what's done in the dark always comes to light because the people around him had no idea what he had done. And so they started hearing rumors and they started looking stuff up. And they realized that Hiroshi Yokoyama is Hiroshi Miyano. And so nobody said anything to him. They went out one night and one of his friends was like, Hiroshi. So I heard that. you were the main guy involved in that concrete murder case. Is that true? And Hiroshi didn't say anything. According to the story, he went pale, he got up and left, and they never heard from him again. Joe Agura, who later became known as Joe Kamisaku, he was also released from prison. now you would think he would have taken the second chance at freedom to try to become a better person, but you are asking entirely way too much because in two thousand He got married and relocated, a marriage that only lasted a few years before he got divorced. And he found himself right back at his mama's house. Now, the past has a funny way of catching up with you because he found a job in IT and his coworkers, because they're IT people, they discovered his criminal history and he lost his job. Instead of using that as an opportunity to turn his life around and do right for real, he got involved with the Yakuza for real. In 2004, he was back in trouble with the law. This time because him and his friend named Takatoshi Asono, Joe thought Takatoshi was messing with his girlfriend. And so instead of handling it like an adult, instead of being like, you know what, she for the streets, you can keep her, or you know what, I'm gonna beat your ass about my woman because you my friend, and I can't believe you're messing with my woman, Joe kidnaps him, takes him to his mother's bar, and assaults him. brutally for four whole hours. Now the article said assault, so I don't know what kind of assault, but he kidnapped him and assaulted him for four whole hours. And if that's the I mean, it sounds familiar, doesn't it? Execute him expeditiously. Like some people you just gotta, you know, you just gotta force stop them from terrorizing the world. Remember that dude that killed Jeffrey Dahmer because he was just like, I feel like this is what God wants me to do. Like I get that. I'm not saying he was right. I'm just saying I understand. Now, Joe was convicted of assaulting and confining Takatoshi in this bar. And guess what? He was sentenced to four years in prison. He should have gotten life. He should have gotten life. He should have gotten life. He really should have gotten death. Because that's the second time you did that. But what do I know? Joe eventually found himself walking out of prison, a free man after serving his little four years or whatever. He was released from prison in two thousand nine and then his life just went on a downward spiral. He couldn't keep friends, he couldn't keep a woman, he couldn't like he couldn't do anything. And so he ended up living alone in an apartment in Saitama and relying on government assistance to get by. Then on July sixteenth, two thousand twenty two, Joe died under some rather unusual circumstances. He was fifty one years old at the time and he was taking some psychiatric medication. So he Does his nightly routine, he's taking his medication, and then he collapses in his bathroom. When he fell, his head became trapped between the toilet bowl and the tank. I don't even know how that happens. Cause first of all, how did your head get in there? Second of all, what you mean you can't get it out? And so he's dizzy and he's throwing up and his head is stuck and he can't get out. And so he he ultimately died from choking on his own vomit. I made a promise to my niece that I will not laugh or chuckle throughout this entire episode 'cause she'd been dealing with me on my demeanor, but I don't wish death on anybody. I wanna preface it by saying that, but you got what you deserve, Joe. I hate that for you. I hate what you did to Junko Moore. And I'm not gonna say that his death made up for what happened to Junko because it doesn't. But I will say I feel like he got what he deserved. Shinji Minato, that mofo, he was released from prison in 1998. He moved back in with his mother. Fast forward 20 years to 2018, and Shinji, who was an unemployed bum at the time, he gets into an argument with a 32-year-old man over a parking spot. So he's out in the streets of Kawaguchi and he gets into a fight with a man about a parking spot. Now, reasonable people like if somebody steals your parking spot or if you feel like you were wrong, like you might cuss them out, you might roll your eyes, but you're gonna go out about your business. Minus me that time that I was about to swing on that lady in the streets of Miami for stealing my parking spot, but she saw me waiting for it and then gets out of the car and is just like, well, I'm pregnant. I needed it, girl. We're not talking about me. It that just pissed me off all over again. Because I was pregnant too at the time. But so Shinji is pissed off about his damn parking spot and he decides, like, no, I'm not about to take this land down. So he beats the man with a metal baton before pulling out a knife and slashing him across the neck. He was arrested for attempted murder and in 2019 he received his sentence, one year and six months in prison, suspended. That's right. His prison sentence was suspended. And he was placed on probation for three years, meaning that instead of serving the 18 months behind bars, he was able to be out and free as long as he complied with the conditions of his probation. And I'm sorry, but some point, at some point it comes to a point, right? Cause he should have been given death. He should have been given death. Now Shinji's father did die in December 2016, and you know, it is what it is. As for Yasushi Watanabe, he also completed his original prison sentence and was released from prison. Nothing new from him though. He does maintain a quiet life. His sister broke up with Hiroshi. She left his ass after they were arrested. And she visited Junko's parents and like offered them a very tearful apology. She did try to visit Junko's grave, but they were just like, no. Thank you for the apology, but respectfully, do not go to our daughter's grave. She eventually got married. And it's said to work in an administrative role now. Yasushi's mother also reached out to Junko's family saying, you know, just to apologize. And she was just like, Listen, I want to apologize to you even if it brings death upon me. Like, I have to apologize to you. Now, Yasushi is said to be the only one that showed remorse toward Junko and took pity on her during her kidnapping. Although he did he did sexually assault her, he did rape her. He did beat her. So I mean, it's like was a little to a lot, but he was said to be the only one that actually like was nice to her for what it's worth. I'm just like, how could you be nice to somebody that you're raping and beating up? But that's neither here nor there. After his release, his mother cut him off. His mother was just like, You have brought dishonor on our household. Like, I'm so sorry. You are no longer my child. And his sister, she did keep a relationship with him. Yasushi did Passed away. He died in May 2021 at the age of 49 from a neurodegenerative disease. Too down to the cow. I'm sorry. I said I was not wishing death on anybody. I I did say that. So I'ma keep I'ma keep saying that. As heartbreaking and as disturbing as Junko's story is, it bears more weight once we remember the people that lost her, her family, the people who are waiting for her to come home. the people who had to live with this loss day in and day out. Like they don't just get to turn it on and turn it off. Like it is constantly a part of their lives. Over the years, there have been reports claiming that Junko's mother suffered a mental breakdown after learning the horrific details of her daughter's captivity and murder. Those claims have not been verified. So I'm not going to present them as fact, just speculation. What we do know is that Junko's family was left to deal with an unimaginable loss. And then once everything went to trial, that legal process really went nowhere. Like, yeah, the guys got time, but was it enough time? No, I I don't feel like it was. After everything that they had done, their sentences were honestly, in my opinion, just a slap in the face to Junko's family. And they felt, they felt the same. Even though the legal proceedings had wrapped up her parents weren't finished seeking accountability. The Furuta family pursued civil action against the parents of Shinji Minado, whose home had been used to hold Junko captive. They were aware that she was there, yet they failed to intervene. The Furutas believed there was accountability to be had beyond the young men who directly participated in their daughter's abuse. And they took that fight to civil court. Reports indicate that the family obtained a favorable outcome in civil proceedings. Some accounts also state that Hiroshi's mom was ordered to pay approximately 50 million yen, which makes sense why they would sell their house. That's that makes sense why they would sell their house. now there was a statement in a Japanese article that I found, and I translated it to English on Google. And assuming the English translation was correct, Hiroshi's mom did release a statement, allegedly, assuming that it was correct. And she said that she felt like she should not have had to pay that money in compensation to Junko's family because they ruined her son's life. And when I'm like, they ruined your son's life, baby, your son ruined his own life. Girl, be so for real. He ruined his own life and the lives of countless other people. Like, girl, be so for real. After years of public attention, court proceedings, and having the most devastating chapter of their lives discussed around the world, the Furuta family has largely chosen to remain private and they stay out of the public eye. And quite frankly, I respect that. Which brings me to my final thoughts. This case made me angry. Complete transparency. Complete transparency. And I don't mean the kind of angry where you shake your head, be like, damn, that's crazy and move on with your day. I mean like I am genuinely deeply angry. And this all happened before I was even born. Pissed me straight off because I can't wrap my head around four teenage boys having this much disregard for another human being that they would do that to her. And I can't wrap my head around a family that was so afraid, quote unquote, to speak up that they allowed Junko to be tortured in their home without offering any assistance. Like they literally looked the other way by all accounts. You all deserve to burn in hell. Gasoline draws on the bus from the movie speed on fire. One of the things that bothers me most about this story is that Junko, like, she didn't know them. She was minding her business. Like, she was literally just trying to get home from work. She was doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing. And the level of entitlement to just feel like you can do what you want with her and then get that little slap on the wrist ass sentence. If I was Junko's father, I promise you. I would have hung them all by their balls from cl spike clothesline. Like he I would have been like, I have nothing left to lose. I'm about to kill y'all. Yakuza are not, like, I'm done. And I would just deal with the fallout later because there's no way. And I mean, of course, we can all say what we would do. And I get that because, you know, this is very real. This is not a made up thing. So I can always say what I would do, but the truth of the matter is, I don't know. I add like this tragedy was just so unimaginable. It was so avoidable and it was so stupid. I think like sometimes when we discuss violent crimes committed by teenagers, people are quick to point out their upbringing. And yeah, like they, you know, but in none of their stories, like, yes, you know, they were abused, some of them. They were subject to abuse. And Was that right by their parents? No. But at some point it's like we have to talk about personal responsibility because nothing that they went through will ever excuse what they did. To the last two remaining and Shinji's mom, I hope y'all have painful hangnails the rest of your life. I hope you bump your toe every time you walk past. You know what? I'm going down a very dark and destructive path. Shinji, you're a bitch. Hiroshi, you're a bitch. Somebody translate in this translate this in Japanese so they know I hate them. I hate him. And the fact that y'all tried to cover up the crime further, like you knew what you were doing was wrong. And you just kept going. You held her for 40 days. 44 days to be exact. Y'all can go to hell. And for the longest sentence to be 20 years, I struggle with that a lot because it's like he's out. Like, granted, he's in his fifties now. Apparently, you know, Hiroshi's doing well. Two of died. And Apparently they're doing well, but I'm just like, well maybe not Shinji, he's going through it, but I'm just like It's okay. It's okay. Because at the end of the day, you guys will pay for what you've done. And I just have to go in peace knowing that. I just have to like. And I just keep thinking about like Shinji's family. Like they knew she was in their house. And I I personally, me personally, I don't understand how you could fear your child, but I understand that there are people that do. I have h it's this is not my first time hearing of people being afraid of their kids. But there is no way in hell I'm going to fear my child so much so that I'm gonna allow you to torture somebody in my house. In the name of fear, you out your rabbit ass mind. She was in danger. And I feel like as the adults in this situation, they had a responsibility to help her. I would have fought my child to the finish. You hear me? I would have fought my child to the finish. There is no freaking way. There is no way. Like I how did how could you allow that? How could you allow that? Their silence should have had consequences, in my opinion, because they did nothing. They should have been pay I mean, and granted, money's not gonna help, but they should have had to pay as well. They should have had to pay Junko's family as well. Like I when I tell you this whole like it pissed me off so bad. Like what they did piss me off, but the adults that did nothing, I think that further pissed me off. They should have served time right next to their, right next to their son. Right next to their son. Regardless, I do want to end this episode talking about Junko. Because whenever you look up her name, you're always gonna see the girl in the concrete box. It's gonna say the girl in the concrete grave. Like, and I feel like that takes away from her humanity because she was much more than that. She was much more than that. She was an amazing person, an amazing student, an amazing daughter, an amazing friend. Like I said, she missed less days of school in three years than I have missed of work in three years. And I get paid for this. She already had her future set. And they took that from her. So when you hear the name Junko Furuta, I want you to think about a 17-year-old girl with a bright future and a strong village behind her. And she deserves so much better. And I surely hope that life just continues to beat the hell out of people, out of the people that failed you. Truly. I really do. And That's the end of today's episode. It was today's story was a heavy one. If ever you go back and research, you would realize I left a lot out. Cause I just my heart couldn't take it. And I just I could not bear to talk about her like that. And talk about what happened to her like that. So if you made it this far, I truly appreciate y'all for hanging in there with me. Trust and believe we are not doing this again. I think we're gonna wrap that up. Like I I don't think I could do a case this heavy again. I I don't think I can. But as always, I want to hear your thoughts. Tell me in the comments. I did not have time this week to go through the reviews. And then, like I said, after this, this just reading some of this stuff really took a toll on me mentally. So I'm gonna take it easy. but let me know. Tell me, you know, what you think in the comments and I will answer back. And if you enjoyed today's episode, I even feel crazy about saying that. Follow the podcast, subscribe wherever you're listening, leave a rating or a review, and maybe sh not share this episode, but share another episode with a friend. Follow me on TikTok, Minor Mischief Pod on Instagram, Minor Mischief Podcast. Wanna chat? Send me an email, minor mischiefpod, minor mischiefpodcast at gmail.com. I think I'm gonna go take care of my mental now, and I suggest you do the same. I will talk to y'all next week, and I have my case picked out for next week. I may change it. I may do something light. we will see. I do have my case picked out for next week though. We'll see. It depends. Once I start typing it out, depending on how I feel, I might change it. I said I wasn't gonna do a mini soap for a while, so but I might change it. But yeah, I will talk to you guys next week, same day of the week. And until then, stay mischievous, friends.