Futoshi Matsunaga

is a Japanese serial killer who both defrauded and tortured his victims in what is collectively known as the . Matsunaga was convicted of six counts of murder and one count of manslaughter between 1996 and 1998 and sentenced to death. He murdered his victims with an accomplice, Junko Ogata, who received a life sentence.

Due to the severity of Matsunaga's crimes, many Japanese media outlets chose not to report the details. The Japan Times reported that prosecutors said the case was without comparison in the criminal history of Japan. Several writers, including Ryūzō Saki, later published the details of the crimes.

Early life

Futoshi Matsunaga was born in Kokurakita Ward of the city of Kitakyūshū in Fukuoka Prefecture, and grew up in Yanagawa. Matsunaga received good grades in school and had a charming personality, but tended to exhibit disciplinary problems. He was transferred to another high school after engaging in a relationship with a junior high school girl. He married at 19 and had a son.

Despite being married, Matsunaga was involved with at least ten mistresses. In October 1982, during his marriage, he became involved with Junko Ogata, one of his former schoolmates from Yanagawa. In 1984, Matsunaga promised to marry Junko, but her mother, Shizumi Ogata, did not approve of the relationship because of Matsunaga's abuse of her daughter. Matsunaga raped Shizumi as a result. In 1985, Matsunaga convinced Junko that her family hated her because of a suicide attempt and persuaded her to move in with him.

That same year, Matsunaga also purchased a building in which he could operate a futon business. Afterwards, he began to electrically shock employees on the third floor. Matsunaga would sometimes suddenly shout towards other men, saying things like, "There is a spirit behind you! It is sucking away your fortune!" He also made references to religious terms like saṃsāra and kami. By 1992, Matsunaga had stolen 180 million yen (about US$2.2 million) through fraud or blackmail.

Later that year, Matsunaga began victimizing Kumio Toraya and his daughter. Kumio had previously confided to Matsunaga about his previous criminal history; Matsunaga used this information to blackmail Kumio. Kumio and his daughter were held captive in Matsunaga's apartment, where Matsunaga tortured him with electric shocks, forced him to eat his own feces, and forced his daughter to bite her father.

On December 21, 1997, Matsunaga coerced Junko to shock her 61-year-old father, Takashige, to the point of death. When Shizumi's mental state began to deteriorate, Matsunaga commanded Rieko and her husband, Kazuya, to strangle her on January 20, 1998. Several weeks later, he commanded Kazuya to strangle Rieko while their 10-year-old daughter, Aya, held her down. Matsunaga and Junko then confined Kazuya to a bathroom, where he starved to death on April 13, 1998. Matsunaga then forced Junko and Aya to kill Rieko's 5-year-old son, Yuki. During the trial, Kumio's daughter testified that Matsunaga and Junko had tortured Aya with electricity. Junko's testimony differed, saying the girl's recollections might have been inaccurate because of guilty feelings about committing her first murder. Kumio's daughter strangled Aya on June 7, 1998. Matsunaga and Junko dismembered and boiled their victims' remains in pots, then finally disposed of them in washrooms or into the sea. Matsunaga blamed the murders on Junko, who, with their two children, were the only survivors in her family.

In July 2000, Matsunaga convinced another woman to go away with him, lured by the prospect of marriage. In August 2001, she gave her twin children to him and Junko. Matsunaga and Junko then convinced the woman to give them 20 million yen (about US$246,580), telling her that they would need the money to bring up her children.

Arrest and trial Kumio's daughter, who was being held captive, escaped from Matsunaga on January 30, 2002, but Matsunaga found the girl on February 15 and took her back into captivity. He then tortured the girl with electric shocks.

Victims – The girl's father, 35 year-old, his daughter escaped from Matsunaga again and reported the crimes to the police. She was 17 years old. – Junko's father, 61 year-old – Junko's mother, 58 year-old – Junko's sister, 33 year-old – Rieko's husband, 38 year-old – Junko's nephew, 5 year-old – Junko's niece, 10 year-old

In film In 2019, Sion Sono announced the making of his project The Forest of Love, which is based on Matsunaga's crimes. It was released by Netflix on October 11, 2019.