Japan doctor, daughter arrested for beheading, carrying out head from love hotel
- Osamu Tamura, a psychiatrist at a Sapporo hospital, is suspected to have dropped off and picked up his daughter at the love hotel before and after the beheading
- Deaths in Japan’s 4,900 love hotels, usually used as a discreet place for sexual encounters, are rare but were reported in 2021 and 2018
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Published: 8:03pm, 24 Jul, 2023
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Deaths in love hotels in Japan are rare – but previous incidents have been reported. There are some 4,900 love hotels across Japan. Photo: EPA
A Sapporo doctor and his daughter were arrested on Monday on suspicion of beheading a man and carrying the severed head out of a hotel in the northern Japan city earlier this month, local police said.
Police are trying to determine a motive, as well as the relationship between Osamu Tamura, 59, his daughter Runa, 29, and the victim, identified as 62-year-old Hitoshi Ura, who was found naked and headless in a hotel room bathroom on July 2.
The police believe Runa and Ura were acquainted but have declined to say whether the two suspects have pleaded guilty to the allegations.
A love hotel room in Japan. Photo: Shutterstock
Ura and another individual believed to be Runa checked into the hotel around 10.50pm on July 1, with the other person leaving alone at about 2am the following day, according to the police.
Osamu, a psychiatrist at a hospital in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is suspected to have dropped off and picked up the daughter at the hotel. The police believe that he did not enter the building.
An autopsy of the victim revealed that the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock caused by blood loss from stab wounds, while Ura’s head was cut off with a blade and taken from the scene.
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The person who accompanied Ura was small, wearing light-coloured women’s clothing and a wide-brimmed hat when entering the hotel, but was dressed in black upon leaving, according to investigative sources.Ura’s body was discovered later on July 2 by a hotel worker who went to check the room after becoming suspicious when he had not checked out by the afternoon.
Police noted that Ura’s mobile phone and personal belongings were missing. On July 4, his car was found in a car park.
The incident occurred in the Susukino area of Sapporo where many love hotels are located. Photo: Kyodo
The incident occurred in the Susukino area of the city where many short-stay so-called “love hotels” are located. Love hotels in Japan typically feature themed rooms and charge hourly rates. They are often used by couples looking for a discreet place to meet for sexual encounters.
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Some 4,900 love hotels currently operate in Japan, per Statista. These hotels do not require guests who live in Japan to provide identification when checking in, according to the news agency Kyodo News.
Deaths in love hotels in Japan are rare – but previous incidents have been reported. In 2021, a man and woman were found dead in a love hotel in Tokyo. Police reported the woman, who was in her 30s, had killed the man, who was in his 20s. She then killed herself.
In 2018, a 46-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were found dead in a love hotel in Saitama, just outside Tokyo. Police said they killed themselves.
