Key Facts
• December 9-20, 2024: Victim reported stalking incidents to police 9 times.
• December 20, 2024: Victim last seen; window glass found broken.
• April 30, 2025: Victim’s remains discovered in suspect’s home, burned and skeletal.
• Suspect, 28, arrested three times: May 23 (abandonment), June 18 (stalking), July 12 (murder).
• Victim’s remains were burned elsewhere before being hidden in suspect’s home.
• Suspect initially admitted to abandonment but has since remained silent.
• Police are reviewing their handling of the case alongside the investigation.
Summary
The body of a 20-year-old woman, Asahi Okazaki, was found in the home of her ex-boyfriend, Hideyuki Shirai, in Kawasaki, Japan. Okazaki had reported stalking incidents nine times before her disappearance on December 20, 2024. Her remains, burned and skeletal, were discovered on April 30, 2025, hidden in a storage space under the suspect’s kitchen floor. Shirai, 28, has been arrested three times: for abandonment, stalking, and now murder. Police believe the victim was killed and burned at a location other than the suspect’s home. Shirai initially admitted to abandonment but has since refused to speak. Authorities are also reviewing their response to the victim’s earlier reports of stalking.
