The long-standing investigation into the 1984 murder of the liquor store owner in Hino Town, Shiga Prefecture, has encountered multiple hurdles as authorities pursue a reopening of the case nearly 40 years later. The Supreme Court has allowed the start of a retrial for Hiroshi Sakuhara, a man previously convicted of the crime, which raises questions about the reliability of past evidence and the handling of the case. With extensive media coverage set to begin in March 2024, there is a renewed spotlight on both the investigation and the legal proceedings surrounding this notorious crime.

In December 1984, the Body of 69-year-old Hatsuko Ikemoto was reported missing by her son, leading to a wide-scale search that would eventually result in her body being discovered. Initial investigations led to the arrest of Sakuhara, who had connections to the liquor store and was found to have been nearby at the time of the crime. However, new evidence and testimonies have prompted the Supreme Court to reconsider the previous verdict, indicating a potential miscarriage of justice that has implications for the legal and law enforcement community in Japan.

The Asahi Shimbun, which is thoroughly investigating this case with a series of articles planned for release, has gathered extensive information including around 1,000 event records and interviews with approximately 50 people involved in the case. The newspaper’s findings are set to shed light on the original investigation’s shortcomings, and potentially alter public perception around the key players involved, particularly regarding justice and accountability in the handling of murder cases.