Saitama, Japan – Authorities have arrested a 31-year-old man, Jun Saito, in connection with the murder of Kaho Miyamoto, a 21-year-old woman who vanished in January 2018, after her skull was discovered in his apartment, according to Saitama Prefectural Police.
Miyamoto was last seen on January 4, 2018, at JR Omiya Station in Saitama City, where she met Saito. The two traveled to Saito’s residence in Omiya Ward, police said. Miyamoto had taken a train from Tsuchiura Station in Ibaraki Prefecture to meet him, based on investigative findings reports.
On May 15, 2025, Saito was initially detained for allegedly stealing a woman’s smartphone. During a subsequent search of his apartment, police found two skulls and other bones on a shelf. One skull was identified as Miyamoto’s, while the second is believed to have been purchased online, according to police. Authorities also recovered knives, saws, and other tools suspected to have been used in the killing and dismemberment of Miyamoto’s body.
Saito reportedly confessed to strangling Miyamoto with a rope at his apartment and dismembering her remains, as per The Mainichi. He allegedly told police, “I invited her to my home, strangled her, and dismembered her body at my home.” Saito also claimed that Miyamoto had “suicidal feelings” and that he asked her to write a suicide note, in addition to removing the SIM card from her smartphone.
Police reports indicate Saito admitted to harboring a “murderous desire” since childhood, stating, “I wanted to kill someone. I’m sure I did it with her consent,” . Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Miyamoto’s death and Saito’s claims.
Miyamoto’s family issued a statement on June 16, 2025, expressing their grief: “We can’t believe it, and we don’t want to believe it. She was a kind, earnest girl who was considerate of the feelings of those around her. For now, our family would like to quietly mourn our daughter,”.
Saitama Prefecture, located north of Tokyo, has seen increased police activity in recent years due to rising concerns over violent crimes, though such cases remain relatively rare in Japan. According to the National Police Agency’s 2024 crime statistics, Japan reported 12,531 violent crime cases nationwide, with Saitama accounting for approximately 7% of these incidents. The discovery of Miyamoto’s remains has drawn significant attention, highlighting ongoing efforts by law enforcement to resolve missing persons cases, which number around 80,000 annually in Japan, per the agency’s data.
The Saitama Prefectural Police have not released additional details about the second skull found in Saito’s apartment or the progress of the investigation. The case remains under active review.
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