was a
Japanese serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
. Between March 31, 1971 and May 10, 1971, he
rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...
d and
murdered eight women. He used a pen name, Tanigawa Ivan (谷川伊凡).
Early life
Ōkubo was born in
Takasaki,
Gunma Prefecture. He was a quarter
Russian. His mother, who was half Russian and half Japanese, doted on him even after he grew up. He was
bullied by other children after the
Pacific War began on December 8, 1941. He raped a woman on July 12, 1955. On December 26, 1955, he attempted to rape another woman, but was unsuccessful. He was arrested, put in jail, and then released on December 15, 1959. On April 16, 1960, he attempted to rape another woman, but was again unsuccessful. The victim, however, withdrew the charge. On May 5, 1961, he married a woman and had a son and a daughter. He threatened a man on June 3, 1965, and then raped two women on December 23, 1966 and February 24, 1967. On June 7, 1967, he went to prison. He was released on March 3, 1971.
Murders
Between March 31 and May 10, 1971, he killed eight women. On May 13, a 21-year-old woman disappeared, and her brother traced her. He found Ōkubo and the police finally arrested him on May 14, 1971.
# Miyako Tsuda (津田 美也子 ''Tsuda Miyako'') - 17 years old
# Mieko Oikawa (老川 美枝子 ''Oikawa Mieko'') - 17 years old
# Chieko Ida (伊田 千恵子 ''Ida Chieko'') - 19 years old
# Seiko Kawabata (川端 成子 ''Kawabata Seiko'') - 17 years old
# Akemi Sato (佐藤 明美 ''Satō Akemi'') - 16 years old
# Kazuyo Kawaho (川保 和代 ''Kawaho Kazuyo'') - 18 years old
# Reiko Takemura (竹村 礼子 ''Takemura Reiko'') - 21 years old
# Naoko Takanohashi (鷹嘴 直子 ''Takanohashi Naoko'') - 21 years old
Trial and execution
The district court in
Maebashi
is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 335,352 in 151,171 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It ...
sentenced Ōkubo to
death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
by
hanging
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary' ...
on February 22, 1973. He did not
appeal and was executed on January 22, 1976. It was reported that he couldn't stand up on the day of his execution.
TV drama
On August 29, 1983, Ōkubo's crime became a TV drama, .
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
played Ōkubo in the drama.
See also
*
List of serial killers by country
External links
Profile Laboratory: Kiyoshi Ōkubo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okubo, Kiyoshi
1935 births
1976 deaths
20th-century executions by Japan
Executed Japanese serial killers
Japanese people convicted of murder
Japanese murderers of children
Japanese people of Russian descent
Japanese rapists
Male serial killers
People convicted of murder by Japan
People executed by Japan by hanging
People from Takasaki, Gunma