Koji Nagakubo (44), who was charged with confinement and injury for barricading himself in an internet cafe in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, in June 2022 and injuring a female hostage, appealed to the Supreme Court against the Tokyo High Court’s ruling of 17 years in prison on August 30.

The Saitama District Court ruling in the first instance, in a lay judge trial, rejected the defense’s argument that the defendant had a personality disorder, denying its influence on the incident. The Tokyo High Court ruling on August 16 also pointed out that the defendant had confined the victim for over five hours for sexual purposes, thinking that “he had no choice but to commit a crime that would leave his name in history,” and once again recognized his full responsibility.

According to the verdict, on June 21 and 22, 2002, the defendant Nagakubo possessed a box cutter and a kitchen knife in a private room at an internet cafe, preventing the store employee from escaping and injuring him.

The defendant also held a hostage situation at a credit union in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture in 2012 and served time in prison.