Japan court sentences man 20 years for premeditated murder of pregnant ex-girlfriend

A Japanese court has sentenced 29-year-old Takumi Ouchi to 20 years in prison for the premeditated murder and stalking of his former girlfriend, Haruka Komatsumoto, in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture.

In December 2025, Ouchi attacked the 31-year-old nail artist at her apartment using a hammer and a knife. The court noted the attack was “relentless and gruesome,” with the victim sustaining injuries to approximately 48 parts of her body. The crime was premeditated; Ouchi used a loss prevention tag to track the victim’s vehicle and sent a tracking device hidden inside a plush toy to her parents' home to locate her residence.

At the time of the attack, Komatsumoto was five months pregnant. Her husband, who discovered her body, expressed profound grief, stating that “two lives were taken” from him. The presiding judge, Sadahiro Ariga, described Ouchi’s motive—a desire to “reset” his life following their breakup—as “nothing but selfish.”