A probation officer, Hiroshi Shinjo (60), was murdered in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The man who was arrested was the one Shinjo was in charge of rehabilitation support for. It has been a month since the incident came to light. A man who said he was able to get back on his feet thanks to Shinjo, who was a probation officer, and a man who became a probation officer because he admired Shinjo, have responded to interviews using their real names and faces for the first time.

Repeated delinquency since my teenage years…but the probation officer who continued to support me

Masato Taniyama (27), who lives in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, was serving time in prison for theft and other crimes until August last year. He currently grows vegetables to sell to restaurants.

(Taniyama Masato) “I’m going to plant cherry tomato seedlings now. I used to have experience working in fields at a juvenile detention center, so I mentioned that to my current company, and they said they had some land so I could help them out.”

He did not attend school regularly and had a history of delinquent behavior since his teenage years.

However, there was one person who continued to support him no matter how many times he strayed from the path: Hiroshi Shinjo, Taniyama’s probation officer.

(Taniyama Masato) “This is a photo I took with Shinjo to commemorate the first time I completed my probation. He said to me, ‘Don’t do anything bad again,’ and ‘You’re in a good environment, so keep your feet on the ground and do your best.’ I was only halfway through my social life, and I hadn’t shown anything cool about myself, so I wondered why it had happened.”