032 Fukuoka's Shadows: The 1951 Serial Robbery-Murders and Their Lingering Echoes. - Exploring the Crimes of Furuya and Sakamoto and Their Impact on Post-War Japan

The Fukuoka Serial Robbery-Murder Case of 1951 involved two individuals: Sōkichi Furuya, 37, and his accomplice, Noboru Sakamoto, 19. Sakamoto, originally from Manchuria, faced significant hardships after World War II, including the loss of his parents and the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings. In his quest for employment to support his family, he encountered Furuya in Fukuoka. Furuya offered assistance in finding work, but instead, they conspired to commit robberies.​

On May 15, 1951, they targeted a 40-year-old man known to Furuya for having some savings. Furuya lured the victim under the pretense of a police investigation, leading him to a barley field near Hakata Station. When the victim attempted to escape, Sakamoto strangled him with a scarf, and Furuya followed with a waist cord, resulting in the man's death. They stole 8,600 yen from the victim.​

Three weeks later, on June 3, in Yahata City (now Kitakyushu), they broke into a 70-year-old man's home intending to steal. Upon the homeowner's return, a struggle ensued. Sakamoto and Furuya strangled the man, killing him, and stole 250 yen, clothing, a watch, and rice.​

Both crime scenes were in secluded areas, lacking witnesses or physical evidence. Eventually, both perpetrators were apprehended. Sakamoto received the death penalty and was executed in 1953. Furuya was sentenced to 10 years in prison but later committed additional murders after his release.

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