Chiba District Court sentences two men to life imprisonment for robbery-homicide

A Chiba District Court judge has sentenced two men, Shu Fujii, 28, and Rikuto Kubota, 23, to life imprisonment for their roles in a series of robberies involving dark part-time job recruitment (yami baito) in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

The defendants were convicted of robbery resulting in death, trespassing, and unlawful confinement. In 2024, the pair broke into a residence in Aoba Ward, Yokohama, where they assaulted 75-year-old Kanji Goto, leading to his death and the theft of cash. They were also implicated in a robbery in Chiba Prefecture.

Presiding Judge Koichiro Hino stated that the crimes were “nothing but malicious,” noting the severe violence inflicted on the victim and the immense psychological suffering caused. This marks the first time life imprisonment has been handed down in a trial related to this series of robberies linked to dark part-time job recruitment.