In 1988, acting on a tip from a concerned landlord, local officials visited an apartment in Tokyo's Sugamo area. They found three children, malnourished, and living on their own, and the corpse of another. It was later determined that the children had another sibling who couldn't be located. Here the sad details of the case in this episode.

In 2009 college student Miyako Hiraoka disappeared while walking home from her part-time job. Closure wouldn't come until 2016, after a seven year investigation, but with a shocking twist. Find out what happened in this episode of True Crime Japan. Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

Don't skip just yet!!!. We promise you some fun stories, after all, our main beat might be crime, but who says we can't have fun outside our comfort zone? From the land of the rising sun, we bring you 3 stories about encounters of the third kind. Contact info: Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

One of Tokyo's most bizarre unsolved cases - in the early morning light of one of the city's most desirable neighbourhoods, park workers discovered garbage bags full of what they thought were small, very precisely cut pieces of fish... Not exactly. The bags contained the remains of a man, apparently murdered and dismembered while returning home from drinks with a coworker, all within his own neighbourhood. Who killed him and disposed of his body. We investigate. Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

In 1998, Noriko Shizuka, disappeared while traveling with her family to the picturesque Akagi Shrine. She stepped away from one group of relatives to catch up with her husband. Curiously, as family members watched Noriko walk off, she veered away from the direction of the shrine and disappeared from view. Noriko Shizuka hasn't been seen since. What happened that day and where is Noriko? Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

Warning: this episode covers incidents of violence against children. Children taken from their own neighborhoods in broad daylight... The horrific crimes of Tsutomo Miyazaki shocked Japan, terrifying parents in a country that prides itself on its exceptionally low crime rate. Nicknamed "The Otaku Murderer" in the media, because of the collection of violent anime found in his home, Miyazaki taunted his victims' families and police investigating the case. After being caught he blamed is crimes on an alter ego he called Rat Man, and spent his trial drawing cartoon images of the character he claimed compelled him to kill. Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

There's a monster in the woods. When this small Hokkaido frontier village suffers a series of deadly bear attacks neighbours must band together for survival.  But will help arrive in time to save them? Find out in this week's episode. Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

In this double feature we look a pair of lighter cases involving greed, generosity and cold hard cash. When boxes of ¥10,000 notes start showing up in the restrooms of municipal offices police begin to wonder if they have a corruption scheme on their hands. However, could this just be the work of a kind hearted soul who wants to do some good in the world? In our second case we look at what happens when the worlds of high school mean girls, small town gossip and private banking collide. Carnage, or at least whimsical high jinx ensue. Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

We're back! Welcome to our first episode of Season 2! At first glance there seemed to be no connection between a bizarre string of disappearances until the common denominator is discovered - the missing were each involved in the pedigree dog industry. Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com

In 1959 Tomoko Takekawa’s life was full of promise, having moved to Tokyo from her parents home in Kobe had given her a whole new level of independence and freedom. That year she was also hired as a stewardess for the British airline BOAC. It seemed the whole world was opening up for her, unfortunately this is where Tomoko’s story ends and the story of this week’s case begins. On March 10th, 1959 Tomoko’s lifeless body was found strangled and lying face up on the banks of the Zenpukuji River. Though police scoured the Stewardess’ social life and airline connections no one was ever charged with her murder. The case remains unsolved to this day. We would like to mention a special thanks to each of the wonderful members of the research team who contributed to the notes for this episode, much appreciated everyone! Contact info: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email truecrimejapan@gmail.com Sources: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19590507.2.4.aspx http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19590613.2.41.aspx 1.2.105.aspx">http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/freepress19590313-1.2.105.aspx https://books.google.com/books?id=fqFyA8_NzPwC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=Tomoko+Takekawa+1959&source=bl&ots=m9UAOymdid&sig=NeeE4AWXoZypsRX21UQ2_tZ5Jas&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO6aX_sKvNAhWJ0iYKHRZwDosQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=Tomoko%20Takekawa%201959&f=false https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/10084088/ finds-the-feminist-in-yesterdays-stewardess.html?_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/business/book-finds-the-feminist-in-yesterdays-stewardess.html?_r=0 Japanese Language Sources http://www.maroon.dti.ne.jp/knight999/stewardess.htm