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Setagaya Family Murders

New releasePublished May 21, 2026Updated May 21, 2026

People

Open a person card to read their narrative notes, linked events, and location context inline.

Rei Miyazawa

VictimDied 2000

Son, age 6; kindergarten student; died from strangulation.

2 linked events1 sourceMiyazawa residence
Narrative notes
Narrative notes across 2 linked events

Son, age 6; kindergarten student; died from strangulation.

Miyazawa residence
Linked events
Dec 30, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Nighttime home invasion and murders

Between 11:30 p.m. and 12:05 a.m., an intruder killed the four family members inside their home.

  1. Assailant likely entered via second‑floor bathroom window adjacent to Soshigaya Park.
  2. Rei was strangled in his bedroom.
  3. Mikio confronted the intruder; he was fatally stabbed with a sashimi knife, whose blade partially broke.
  4. Yasuko and Niina were attacked with the broken knife and then a household santoku knife.
Dec 31, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Bodies discovered by Yasuko’s mother

At 10:40 a.m., Haruko entered the home and found the four victims, prompting a major TMPD investigation.

  1. Haruko enters the house and discovers the four victims inside the residence.
  2. Police are notified and the residence is treated as a major homicide scene.
  3. The discovery fixes the final known endpoint of the overnight attack and begins the long-running TMPD special investigation.

Haruko (Yasuko’s mother)

Witness

Discovered the victims at 10:40 a.m. on December 31, 2000, at the family residence.

1 linked event1 sourceMiyazawa residence
Narrative notes
Narrative notes across 1 linked event

Discovered the victims at 10:40 a.m. on December 31, 2000, at the family residence.

Miyazawa residence
Linked events
Dec 31, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Bodies discovered by Yasuko’s mother

At 10:40 a.m., Haruko entered the home and found the four victims, prompting a major TMPD investigation.

  1. Haruko enters the house and discovers the four victims inside the residence.
  2. Police are notified and the residence is treated as a major homicide scene.
  3. The discovery fixes the final known endpoint of the overnight attack and begins the long-running TMPD special investigation.

Mikio Miyazawa

VictimDied 2000

Father, age 44; killed during the home invasion after confronting the intruder.

2 linked events1 sourceMiyazawa residence
Narrative notes
Narrative notes across 2 linked events

Father, age 44; killed during the home invasion after confronting the intruder.

Miyazawa residence
Linked events
Dec 30, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Nighttime home invasion and murders

Between 11:30 p.m. and 12:05 a.m., an intruder killed the four family members inside their home.

  1. Assailant likely entered via second‑floor bathroom window adjacent to Soshigaya Park.
  2. Rei was strangled in his bedroom.
  3. Mikio confronted the intruder; he was fatally stabbed with a sashimi knife, whose blade partially broke.
  4. Yasuko and Niina were attacked with the broken knife and then a household santoku knife.
Dec 31, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Bodies discovered by Yasuko’s mother

At 10:40 a.m., Haruko entered the home and found the four victims, prompting a major TMPD investigation.

  1. Haruko enters the house and discovers the four victims inside the residence.
  2. Police are notified and the residence is treated as a major homicide scene.
  3. The discovery fixes the final known endpoint of the overnight attack and begins the long-running TMPD special investigation.

Yasuko Miyazawa

VictimDied 2000

Mother, age 41; killed inside the home during the attack on the family.

2 linked events1 sourceMiyazawa residence
Narrative notes
Narrative notes across 2 linked events

Mother, age 41; killed inside the home during the attack on the family.

Miyazawa residence
Linked events
Dec 30, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Nighttime home invasion and murders

Between 11:30 p.m. and 12:05 a.m., an intruder killed the four family members inside their home.

  1. Assailant likely entered via second‑floor bathroom window adjacent to Soshigaya Park.
  2. Rei was strangled in his bedroom.
  3. Mikio confronted the intruder; he was fatally stabbed with a sashimi knife, whose blade partially broke.
  4. Yasuko and Niina were attacked with the broken knife and then a household santoku knife.
Dec 31, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Bodies discovered by Yasuko’s mother

At 10:40 a.m., Haruko entered the home and found the four victims, prompting a major TMPD investigation.

  1. Haruko enters the house and discovers the four victims inside the residence.
  2. Police are notified and the residence is treated as a major homicide scene.
  3. The discovery fixes the final known endpoint of the overnight attack and begins the long-running TMPD special investigation.

Niina Miyazawa

VictimDied 2000

Daughter, age 8; one of the four Miyazawa family members killed in the home invasion.

2 linked events1 sourceMiyazawa residence
Narrative notes
Narrative notes across 2 linked events

Daughter, age 8; one of the four Miyazawa family members killed in the home invasion.

Miyazawa residence
Linked events
Dec 30, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Nighttime home invasion and murders

Between 11:30 p.m. and 12:05 a.m., an intruder killed the four family members inside their home.

  1. Assailant likely entered via second‑floor bathroom window adjacent to Soshigaya Park.
  2. Rei was strangled in his bedroom.
  3. Mikio confronted the intruder; he was fatally stabbed with a sashimi knife, whose blade partially broke.
  4. Yasuko and Niina were attacked with the broken knife and then a household santoku knife.
Dec 31, 2000• Miyazawa residence

Bodies discovered by Yasuko’s mother

At 10:40 a.m., Haruko entered the home and found the four victims, prompting a major TMPD investigation.

  1. Haruko enters the house and discovers the four victims inside the residence.
  2. Police are notified and the residence is treated as a major homicide scene.
  3. The discovery fixes the final known endpoint of the overnight attack and begins the long-running TMPD special investigation.

Unidentified Setagaya offender

Unknown

Placeholder entity for the still-unidentified offender believed to have killed the Miyazawa family and remained in the house afterward.

0 linked events2 sources
Narrative notes
Narrative profile

Placeholder entity for the still-unidentified offender believed to have killed the Miyazawa family and remained in the house afterward.

This person is listed in the case, but there are no linked timeline events yet.

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