Former Child Actor Arrested in Gruesome Murder Case: Kirato Wakayama Among 6 Suspects

The 'Kiki's Delivery Service' star was one of six suspects arrested in connection to the murder of a couple near Tokyo.

By Allison Schonter

Former child actor Kirato Wakayama has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Tokyo couple whose burned bodies were discovered in Tochigi Prefecture in mid-April. Wakayama, who starred in projects like the live-action Kiki's Delivery Service adaptation, was taken into police custody on May 1 on suspicion of damaging the corpses. He is one of six suspects currently in police custody in connection to the case.

The gruesome case began on April 16, when the bound and burnt bodies of the victims – Ryutaro Takarajima, 55, and his wife Sachiko, 56 – were discovered on a riverbed in the town of Nasu, near Tokyo, per Asia One. Their causes of death were ruled strangulation.

So far, six suspects have been arrested in connection to the murders: Wakayama, who was arrested by authorities alongside South Korean nation King Kwang-ki, 20; Hikaru Sasaki, 28; 25-year-old construction worker Ryoken Hirayama; Ryo Maeda, 36, who works in a real estate business; and Seiha Sekine, the 32-year-old common-law husband of the Tokyo couple's eldest daughter, according to The Japan Times. A joint investigation team comprising the Metropolitan Police Department and the Tochigi Prefectural Police believe that Sekine orchestrated the murder and approached the five others, allegedly promising them "a high reward" for their cooperation.

Sekine managed several of the approximately 12 restaurants the victims ran in Tokyo's Ueno district. Workers claimed that Sekine oftentimes complained about the couple. He was also reportedly unhappy with their desire to see his children so frequently. On the night the bodies were discovered, he allegedly sent a text to employees after returning home at 2 a.m. on April 17 that the restaurants would be closed that day.

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Surveillance video from the night of April 15 allegedly showed Takarajima walking with the couple Maeda in Ueno. At some point, they reportedly met up with Sekine and went to see a property in the Higashi-Shinagawa district of Shinagawa Ward. After traveling to another vacant home, it is believed the couple was assaulted before being transported to Nasu. Their burned bodies were discovered in Nasu the following morning. Further information is not available at this time.

Wakayama was taken into police custody on May 1 after police obtained a warrant for his arrest on April 27, per The Mainichi. He is a former child actor who starred in the live-action adaptations of Kiki's Delivery Service and Laughing Under the Clouds. He is also well-known for his role in Gunshi Kanbee, a popular historical drama from 2014, per his IMDb profile.

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