A deeply disturbing case of long-term abuse has shaken Japan, after a 33-year-old woman was discovered dead following a decade of confinement by her own parents in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture.
The victim, Kakimoto Airi, was found in a severely malnourished state—measuring just 145 cm tall and weighing only 19 kg at the time of her death. Her body was discovered inside a tiny, makeshift room built within the family’s home. The room, measuring only 3 square meters, lacked windows and heating, and was equipped with a temporary toilet and a water pipe connected to an external tank.
Airi’s parents, Yasutaka Kakimoto (55) and Yukari Kakimoto (53), have been arrested on suspicion of abandoning a corpse. They admitted to keeping their daughter locked in the room since she was 16 or 17 years old, claiming she had developed mental health issues. According to their statements, Airi was only fed once a day and monitored through a surveillance camera installed in the room.
The case drew even more outrage when it was revealed that Airi had died on December 18, but her parents delayed contacting authorities until five days later. When asked why, her father told investigators: “I wanted to be with her a little longer, but then I realized what I had done was a crime.”
The grim nature of the confinement room and the prolonged neglect has triggered national outrage, with human rights advocates and the public calling for a deeper investigation into the failure of social systems to detect such prolonged abuse.
Osaka police have launched a full investigation, considering additional charges and delving into the family’s history. The case is not only being viewed as a severe case of abuse and criminal negligence but also as a tragic reflection of untreated mental illness, familial isolation, and societal oversight.