Give the police a break. They were able to track down the body... people go missing in New York, Baltimore, Detroit... etc... and no one ever hears or sees from them again. At least in this instance justice will inevitably be served.

John, Sterling, Virginia

Yet another example to illustrate why the most inept organisation in the world that is 'the Japanese Police' are the butt of internet jokes.
With extensive research experience in human rights and law in Japan, every aspect of this story so far seems to suggest the police will treat it as another foreigner in Japan in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can't realistically see the Japanese police putting all their efforts into catching the perpetrator.
So sad.

Simon, Tokyo, Japan

I agree with Vincent Paul. When I was working for a graphic design firm in Hokkaido, the level of apathy from vendors is appaling. Citizens aren't pleased with the police force there and many are voicing the idea that a complete departmental revamps in order or else there would be vigilantism.

Richard, Manhattan, USA/NY

I don't understand why the police are refusing to give out certain details of the death. If police forces are not open about crimes, people will give up on them and take the law into their own hands. If I was a relative of the victim, I would take the police to court to force them to hand over all the information they have. The information isn't theirs. It is the right of the family of the victim to have *all* information.

Marco, bhm, uk

The problem isn't really the stack of 'ero-guro' magazines or comics.
So far, it is almost impossible to "band" sexual or violence materials. Violence/ Sex is in our "human-kind". However, it doesn't mean that everybody who own these materials are all "psycho-killers".

Personally, the one who commits crimes has some personal issues. I do not agree on the fact he has the right to "kill" an innocent person.

The issue also has to do with the police force, they really should capture the criminal before other people get hurt.

There is a classic saying: guns do not kill people, people kill people.

Izumi Rampo, Montreal, Canada

The comics that this 'Loner' is addicted to are unfortunately openely openly displayed and sold at 'convenience stores' all over Japan. I have repeatedly complained to the manager of my local 'Family' Mart, which displayed several row of these worthless magazines at knee height, just at the eye level of a toddler, and this convenience store is located 20 meters from the gate of our elementary school. In my opinion, these shops should be prohibited from displaying these comics which basically amount to violent pornography and child pornography. If one thinks of the garbage these comics offer to the minds of their readers, he must conclude that the publishers are socially irresponsible and the 'artists' should probably be under psychological supervision.

But Japanese apathy is famous. The response from vendors is generally 'sho ga nai' (what can I do about it?) and 'mendokusai' (why bother?).

Vincent Paul, Kamakura, Japan

For Japan’s image as a “safe country” this is a worse case scenario. Far worse that the Lucie Blackman murder, which for a long time was a “missing person” case, and thus swept under the carpet. There was nothing in Ms. Hawker’s history or lifestyle that could be construed as a mitigating circumstance. We have a body concealed in a somewhat unusual manner. Violence bordering sadistic sexual torture, allowing a link to be made with the impact of violent pornography on the simple-minded. Then there is accusation of gross police incompetence, with the world media reporting every twist and turn. This is so “lose-lose”: If the perpetrator hates White women so much, through stupidity he has allowed his life to be completely ruined by one. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence against the main suspect; hard to believe he doesn’t have a history of violence against women. Japanese people will feel a collective guilt over this crime. Of course it will blow over eventually, but this is about as bad as it gets.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan