Photo/Illutration Hikaru Sasaki, who was arrested on suspicion of destroying two corpses, in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on April 29 (Masaaki Kobayashi)

A man suspected of ordering the disposal of the bodies of a Tokyo businessman and his wife was arrested on April 29 at Naha Airport in Okinawa Prefecture, sources said.

An investigative team consisting of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department and Tochigi prefectural police took Hikaru Sasaki, 28, whose residence and profession are unknown, into custody on suspicion of destruction of corpses.

The bodies of Ryutaro Takarajima, 55, and his wife, Sachiko, 56, both from Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, were found burned near a river in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, on the morning of April 16.

Police believe the couple were assaulted at a residence in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward and then taken by a car to Tochigi Prefecture.

Police on April 21 arrested Ryoken Hirayama, 25, who lives in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, and works in the construction industry, on suspicion of damaging the couple’s bodies.

Hirayama has told investigators that he “received instructions from a person” to dispose of the bodies, according to sources.

He is believed to have prepared for the job by buying tools, gasoline and adhesive tape two to three days before the bodies were found.

He was seen handing over his car to two people at a convenience store in Shinagawa Ward on April 15. The car then headed to a vacant house in the ward.

The two people made contact with the Takarajimas there, and the car then headed to Tochigi Prefecture, the sources said.

Hirayama has told police: “I was asked to dispose of the bodies, and I asked two people to do the job. I told them to go to the vacant house.”

Blood stains were found in the garage of the house.

Sachiko’s blood, her driver’s license as well as zip ties and adhesive tape were found in Hirayama’s car, the sources said.

Hirayama also told investigators that he “met with a person who gave the instructions at an izakaya pub” but did not name the person, according to the sources.

Investigators later found that Hirayama stayed at an izakaya in Shinagawa Ward between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. on April 16.

Sasaki entered the izakaya and made contact with Hirayama, the sources said.

(This article was written by Minami Endo, Shomei Nagatsuma and Hiromichi Fujita.)

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