The Hunt for Mr Ichihashi

Richard Lloyd Parry and Kyoko Onoki
Ichikawa, Tokyo

Japanese police were engaged on a murder manhunt last night after the naked corpse of a young British woman was found in a Tokyo flat buried in an sand-filled bathtub.

The severely beaten body of Lindsay Hawker, a 22-year old English conversation teacher from Coventry, West Midlands, will undergo an autopsy today after being found late on Monday night in Chiba prefecture in the suburbs of Tokyo. Police are hunting for the occupant of the apartment, a 28-year old Japanese man named Tatsuya Ichihashi, who fled barefoot from the scene when police called in search of the missing woman.

(If you have infromation about the case, ring The Times Tokyo Bureau on 03-3270-3480/1 or email richardlloydparry@compuserve.com. Information treated in confidence.)

Ms Hawker was reported missing on Monday afternoon by a flat mate who worked with her at the same English language school in eastern Tokyo. She had last been seen at midnight on Saturday, but subsequently failed to answer her mobile phone or to turn up for work. Police who visited her apartment found Mr Ichihashi’s first name and phone number written on a piece of paper, and tracked down his address through the telephone company.

Detectives said yesterday that they were investigating the relationship between Ms Hawker and her suspected killer, but information from her flat mates suggested that they did not know one another well, and were only recent acquaintances. Japanese television reported that Ms Hawker also gave one-to-one English language lessons to private students, and this may have been how Mr Ichihashi made contact with her and why she found herself in his apartment.

“Among the teachers at the school she truly stood out,” said Kenshi Sakai, a 70-year old man who was a student of Ms Hawker at the Nova language school in Koiwa in eastern Tokyo. “To have a teacher who was so young and as beautiful as a flower was an amazing thing for me. It’s unbelievable news. She was such a nice person, with such a gentle manner that she should never die like this.”

Police in Chiba prefecture initially obtained a warranty for the arrest of Mr Ichihashi on charges of illegally abandoning the British woman’s body, which was found with just part of the hand protruding above earth and sand, heaped into a light brown bath tub which had placed out on the balcony of his apartment. But they also believe that he is responsible for her murder.

“The suspect is believed to have murdered the victim, by means and in a place still to be confirmed,” said Superintendent Seikichi Kogo of Gyotoku Police Station, close to where the body was found in the city of Ichikawa.

Ms Hawker was reported missing on Monday afternoon and two police officers knocked on the door of Mr Ichihashi’s apartment that night. “The officers had only confirmed his name when immediately he ran away and down the stairs on the outside of the building,” said Superintendent Yoshihiro Sugita, of the Chiba Prefectural Police. “Of course, the police ran after him, but they couldn’t catch up.”

The body was found in a subsequent search of the third storey apartment in a bathtub which appeared to have been removed from the bathroom and pushed onto the balcony. “There will be an autopsy tomorrow which will determine the cause of death,” said Superintendent Sugita. “There was no sign of strangulation, and no sign that the body had been stabbed, but there were signs of violent assault - bruises on the face and in numerous places all over the body.”

“We have found no traces of blood and there was no sign of a physical struggle. The victim was completely naked and her clothes were around the apartment, although we don’t know whether they were taken off by her or by the suspect.” Mr Sugita did not say whether or not there were signs of sexual assault.

More than 24 hours after his flight from the police, reportedly without shoes on his feet, there was no word on the whereabouts of Mr Ichihashi. He was described as being 180cm tall and 70kg in weight and wearing trousers and a dark red sweater when he escaped. The Yomiuri newspaper reported that he had lived in the apartment form the age of four and that his parents, both doctors, lived there too until moving back to their home in Gifu prefecture in central Japan a few years ago.

Yesterday, Japanese journalists and television cameras were lined up opposite the brown seven storey apartment building where Ms Hawker’s body was found. Blue tarpaulins suspended at front and back obscured the view of police investigators. a hundred of whom have been assigned to the case and to the hunt for Mr Ichihashi. The building is in a respectable residential area, popular with young families and half an hour’s commute from central Tokyo.

Ms Hawker had been working for Nova since last October, after graduating from university last year. She lived, with two other female teachers from Australia and Canada in a flat in the nearby town of Funabashi.
“She worked diligently and did her best in her work,” the company said in a statement. “She tried to fit into Japanese life. We deeply regret what has happened.”

Comments

[Mark Bellis]

When I tried for a job with NOVA in Canada they told the applicants about how low the crime rate was in Japan - when one of the female applicants said she'd had a friend who'd been sexually assaulted in Japan, the NOVA guy ( an Englishman ) asked, well, what was she doing? Was she walking through an alley at night? etc.

[Dave]

It’s a very sad story, and my condolances go out to the girl’s family and friends.

I’ve just published an article on my blog about Hawker’s death, and have posted a few intereting comments and things to think about. Have a look if you get the chance.

Lindsay Ann Hawker R.I.P.

[Chris]

Over the years here, I have met
both Japanese and foreigners that have been stalked. Sadly,the police tend largely to ignore it and in one incident whilst living in a small town in Shimane prefecture, I saw the on duty officer at the local koban laugh in the face of the stalking victim!
In most cases it is obvious but in Ms Hawker's case it seemed not to be.
However,as this case and that of Lucie Blackman show, it behoves foreigners living in Japan to be more wary of the invitations of relative strangers.

[A Robinson]

The role of the Japanese police seems to be getting very little coverage. How on earth did the suspect manage to escape the police who were trying to question him simply by running away? This reminds me of a story I saw a couple of years ago about police in Tokyo running away from a suspect who was acting in a threatening manner:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4287899.stm

It seems that when Japan's 安全な国 (secure country) mask slips, the police just can't deal with it.

[Ken Y-N]

Hi Richard,

Do you know if there is any fund-raising to support Ms Hawker's family while they are here? I think there's quite a sizeable online expat community that could dig into their pockets to help pay the family's hotel bills, etc.

[Rob]

What a sad story and my thoughtsgo out to the family.
Though it should be remembered that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, as someone who has lived in chiba for ten years, I can say that Chiba and Japan are a safe place to live.
I hope this horrible event will not stop people from around the world, coming to Tokyo

[Cos]

Shocking! A young life, full of aspirations, hopes and dedication, taken away. My sympathies to her family and friends. No matter how helpful you are, think of your own safety first. Beware of some mentally ill and lecherous criminals lurking to pounce on the unsuspected.

[KHAY]

NOVA maintained a non socialisation policy with clients when I worked there. Often teachers had private students, but usually did not recruit NOVA clients as they're customers. In theory, the policy is designed to protect teachers however, many individuals upholding the policy ie managers, had often married, or dated their students so professionalism boundaries blurred. If one is inexperienced with the status quo, problems may arise from the most innocent of situations.

The customer is always right in Japan, so your vulnerable to disgruntled clients who may not have a valid complaint. The ethos is generally that - english teaching is a commodity, foreign teachers are the product.

It is worth remembering also that the populace is large, and a care in the community policy is in place. Students once advised me of doctors recommending individuals with mental health issues to take up hobbies like flower arrangement, or learning a foreign language. Japanese people tend to when taking up a hobby, buy the right equipment, go to the right school, so naturally they would go to a native speaker to learn 'english conversation'

NOVA teachers are degree holders, not always qualified teaching personnel, therefore they may not recognise disturbed behaviour and or special needs support. Again they are vulnerable.

Many times in Osaka fellow colleagues would report flashings, gropings and stalkings to police there and meet indifference, and or ' you were asking for it' attitudes.

Japanese society has a skewed idea about women, and a love hate relationship with foreigners. If you are both, you may receive a lot more attention than you bargained for.

With cultural barriers a huge part of day to day living as a teacher, having adequate skills for coping with culture shock, and all the knock on effects of it, sometimes, you just don't see a threat in front of you until its too late.
My sympathy goes out to the family.

[Yumi]

I still can't understand why Lindsay would go home with a strange guy for a period before work?
...and Lucy did that too.

Any ideas people ?