Toshihiko Hasegawa and Masamichi Ida

Toshihiko Hasegawa (1950 – December 27, 2001) and Masamichi Ida (1942 – November 19, 1998) were a pair of Japanese serial killers who conspired to kill three men to obtain life insurance money between November 1979 and December 1983 in Aichi Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture. Both men were convicted of the murders, sentenced to death, and executed. While on death row, Hasegawa began writing letters to the brother of one of his victims, expressing remorse for what he had done. The two later met in prison, and he and two other relatives of Hasegawa's victims unsuccessfully petitioned the Minister of Justice to spare his life.

Early life Hasegawa had three siblings. He was married and had two children prior to the murders. He got divorced after the murders.

Murders In 1979, Hasegawa owned a car repair business in Aichi Prefecture. Ida was one of his employees. Hasegawa's business was struggling and he was in a large amount of debt. Hasegawa then devised a plan to pay the money he owed. He put out a life insurance policy on one of his customers, 20-year-old Teruyoshi Eguchi. Hasegawa and Ida then invited him to join them on a fishing trip. In the early hours of November 19, 1979, the two forced Eguchi overboard and left him to drown. However, when Hasegawa and Ida tried to cash in on the insurance policy, they were unsuccessful. Eguchi had been suicidal and coincidentally left a suicide note at his home. Consequently, the life insurance policy was rendered moot.

Hasegawa's business went bankrupt and he joined the trucking business as a subcontractor for a transportation company. In November 1982, Hasegawa hired 30-year-old Akio Harada as a driver. He then conspired with Ida and a third man to kill Akio, who had a life insurance policy of 20 million yen. On January 24, 1983, after watching Akio get into his truck, the third man followed him in another car. Ida stopped the truck at a planned location in Kyoto Prefecture and bludgeoned Akio to death with an iron bar.

Hasegawa still did not have enough money to pay his debts. He borrowed high interest money from a loan shark, 39-year-old Yoshio Sakakibara. To avoid having to pay the money back, Hasegawa conspired with Ida to kill him. The two beat him to death with a metal bar Handa, Aichi and stole his belongings. The two then went out to sea, tied an anchor to Sakakibara's body, and threw it overboard.

In August 1993, Masaharu decided to visit Hasegawa in prison. He thought he might lose his temper upon seeing his brother's killer, but did not. Hasegawa told him he was grateful for the visit. He continued to express remorse and said he was ready to die now that he had seen Masaharu. Masaharu said he could not forgive Hasegawa for killing his brother and never would, but that his hate for him lessened. A month after the meeting, he petitioned for Hasegawa's sentence to be reduced to life in prison. Although only a convict's lawyers and relatives are allowed to visit them after a death sentence is finalized, Masaharu was allowed to meet Hasegawa three more times after he lost his final appeal.

In December 2001, Hasegawa had a feeling that he was about to be executed. He started writing several letters. He repeatedly apologized and bid his farewell, saying he hoped he could one day make amends. When Christmas Day came, Hasegawa said he was happy he got to see it one last time. He was executed two days later.

Harada attended Hasegawa's funeral. He later founded a group encouraging reconciliation between victims and offenders.