TOKYO – Kenichi Hosoya, 43, and his wife, Shiho, 38, were arrested for the fifth time on Friday in connection with a chilling case in which they allegedly defrauded an insurance company of ¥26 million ($167,416) in death benefits. The couple had previously been arrested four times in 2024 for the murders of multiple family members.
Kenichi, a former company executive, and Shiho, who previously ran a ryokan inn in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, are accused of poisoning Kenichi’s mother, Yaeko, 68; his sister, Minako, 41; and his father, Isamu, 73, with ethylene glycol between January and June 2018. In March 2023, they also allegedly killed their 4-year-old daughter, Yoshiki.
Authorities claim that in 2018, the couple submitted death certificates and insurance claims for the three relatives, collecting approximately ¥26 million from both corporate and individual insurance policies. The payouts were designated for Kenichi’s leather goods company, Hosoya Sangyo, as well as himself and another sister. At the time, the three deaths were deemed natural causes.
However, suspicions grew after the unexplained death of their daughter, Yoshiki, prompting a police investigation. Forensic analysis revealed that all the victims had been poisoned with ethylene glycol, a toxic substance commonly used in antifreeze.
Under the terms of the insurance policies, payouts are void if a beneficiary is found to have intentionally caused the policyholder’s death, leading to the couple’s subsequent arrests for fraud. Investigators continue to probe the case, with the couple facing severe charges for both murder and fraud.
