Planned to work at an electronics store post-graduation
Reputation: Popular, good grades, didn't partake in drinking, smoking, or drugs
Perpetrators
Main Offender: Hiroshi Miano
Affiliated with Yakuza
Rejected by Junko leading to revenge plot
Accomplices: Joe Ogura, Yasushi Watanabe, Nobuharu Minato
Kidnapping & Assault
Date of Abduction: November 25, 1988
Method: Attacked while biking home, "rescued" by Hiroshi
Initial Assault: Taken to an abandoned warehouse, raped
Confinement: Held for 42 days in Nobuharu Minato's home
Forced to call parents and lie about her whereabouts
Torture & Abuse:
Repeatedly raped by main offenders and others
Severe physical abuse including burns and multiple injuries
Dehumanized and humiliated
Living Conditions
Confinement Details:
Lived in constant fear and suffering
Limited food and water, forced to consume inedible items
Extreme physical degradation
Failed Escape & Continued Abuse
Escape Attempt: Failed phone call to police
Increased Torture:
Set on fire multiple times
Physical and mental degradation continued
Death & Disposal
Date of Death: January 4, 1989
Cause: Succumbed to injuries, final torture session
Body Disposal: Encased in concrete, hidden at a construction site
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Discovery: Hiroshi confessed under mistaken belief police knew
Arrests: All main offenders arrested, tried as juveniles
Sentences:
Hiroshi Miano: 20 years
Nobuharu Minato: 5-7 years
Yasushi Watanabe: 9 years
Joe Ogura: 8 years
Public Outcry: Light sentences, attempts to appeal led to increased sentences
Post-Release Activities
Offenders’ Lives Post-Release:
Hiroshi Miano: Returned to crime, later lived normal life
Joe Ogura: Continued criminal activities, remarried, bragged about crimes
Nobuharu Minato: Changed name, involved in attempted murder
Yasushi Watanabe: Low profile
Additional Arrests
Further DNA evidence linked additional individuals to the crime
Public Reaction
Media Coverage: Names released by journalists due to public outrage
Impact: Case remains one of the most horrific in history, influencing public perception of juvenile justice system in Japan
Conclusion
The Junko Furuta case is a harrowing example of extreme violence and the failures of the justice system to appropriately deal with juvenile offenders of serious crimes.