Sataro Fukiage

Case record: Sataro Fukiage

Background

Sataro Fukiage (吹上 佐太郎, Fukiage Satarō) was born in February 1889. He was born in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto. He was a Japanese serial killer known as the Erotomania. He was described as a serial rapist-murderer in Japan.

His family forced him to work at the age of nine under the East Asian age reckoning. He often changed his works and jobs.

At the age of 11, he had sex with a girl about 17 years old, for which he lost his job. At the age of 12, he was arrested for theft. During two months in jail, he learned kana and math. After release, he was arrested again for theft soon after, and during the second period in jail he learned classical Chinese.

At the age of 17, he had sex with a 54-year-old woman. He later raped the woman’s 11-year-old daughter and her neighboring girls.

In jail, he studied many books and the works of great persons including Confucius, Mencius, Socrates, Aristotle, and Nichiren. He also finished and wrote a book titled The Street (娑婆, Syaba) / (娑婆, Shaba).

The offence

Sataro Fukiage killed at least seven girls. His first murder occurred in 1906. On September 24, 1906, he raped and murdered an 11-year-old girl at Kinkaku-ji. The victim was described as his old acquaintance.

Between 1923 and 1924, he raped and murdered six girls. The girls’ ages were described as from eleven to sixteen, and later described as ages 11 to 16. He was also described as having raped a number of women besides the murder victims.

It was stated that the trial admitted three of the six cases, but his exact number of victims was stated as unknown. One theory said he raped at least 93 girls. Some estimates said he raped over 100 women and more than 100 women.

In April 1923, he was arrested for molesting a 4-year-old girl, but he was released soon. He was arrested again later during the period between June 1923 and April 1924, when he raped and murdered six girls.

Investigation

No investigation steps were described in detail. It was stated that when he confessed to murders, he later recanted and insisted that he had murdered only six girls and that a police officer had asked him a leading question.

Arrest

Sataro Fukiage was arrested on July 28, 1924.

Trial

He was tried for three out of six cases. His exact number of victims was stated as unknown.

He confessed to 13 murders, but later recanted. He insisted that he had murdered only six girls and that a police officer had asked him a leading question.

He finished his book, The Street (娑婆, Syaba) / (娑婆, Shaba), as he would during the trials.

He was sentenced to death on May 17, 1925.

The Supreme Court of Japan upheld his death sentence on July 2, 1926.

Sentencing

Sataro Fukiage received a death sentence on May 17, 1925, and the Supreme Court of Japan upheld it on July 2, 1926.

Additionally, his status field indicated that he was sentenced to life in prison in 1907 and released in 1922.

Outcome

Sataro Fukiage was executed by hanging on September 28, 1926. He was described as going to die nobly, differing from many prisoners.

In his book, he requested many parents not to make their children poor, and he requested that parents take care of their children.

Timeline

• February 1889 — Sataro Fukiage was born.
• 1906 — He murdered his first victim.
• September 24, 1906 — He raped and murdered an 11-year-old girl at Kinkaku-ji.
• 1907 — He was sentenced to life in prison.
• 1922 — He was released.
• April 1923 — He was arrested for molesting a 4-year-old girl and was released soon.
• Between June 1923 and April 1924 — He raped and murdered six girls aged 11 to 16.
• July 28, 1924 — He was arrested.
• May 17, 1925 — He was sentenced to death.
• July 2, 1926 — The Supreme Court of Japan upheld his death sentence.
• September 28, 1926 — He was executed by hanging.

Other details

It was stated that at the time of the September 24, 1906 murder, he was 18 years old under a cultural age reckoning, although he was 17 years old under the western age system.