Junko Furuta: A Murder Story to Forget

Junko Furuta was a Japanese high school student who was abducted, raped, and murdered. Her murder case was known as the concrete-encased high school girl murder case because her body was found in a concrete drum.

She was kidnapped by four teenage boys. They tortured her for 44 days and eventually killed her.

Who is Junko Furuta?

Misato Saitama Prefecture, Junko Furuta born on 8th January 1971.
She is a 17-year-old Japanese high school girl.
Furuta went to Yashio-Minami High School.
She lived with her parents and she has one younger and older brother.
Junko Furuta also worked as a part-time worker at a plastic molding company in Misato.
Junko also got a job in an electronic store to work after graduation.
She was pretty famous at her high school because of her grades and behavior.
Her dream is to become an idol singer.
Her favorite TV show is Tonbo.

Who Kidnapped Junko Furuta?

Junko Furuta was kidnapped and killed by 4 teenage boys, They are

Hiroshi Miyano – 18 Year Old

Jō Ogura – 17 Year Old

Shinji Minato – 16 Year Old

Yasushi Watanabe – 17 Year Old

They Were referred to as “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” suspected in the Junko Furuta Kidnap and Murder Case.

The Prime Suspect was “A” Called Hiroshi Miyano was the leader of the crime.

Hiroshi Miyano

Miyano was an 18-year-old teenager with a history of crimes.

In 1986 he enrolled in an elementary school, the same year he dropped out.

He dropped out of school because of his crimes like Shoplifting, Destroying school property.

He lived with her girlfriend and his older sister.

Before getting into serious Crimes like rape and gangster, he did work in a tiles shop. Due to low pay, he changes his way into crime.

Because of his behavior and crimes, his girlfriend ended their love relationship.

How Miyano Kidnapped Junko Furuta?

November 25th, 1988 suspects “A” and C“ wandered around Misato for their routing crime activities.

On that night at 8:35 Pm, they saw Junko Furuta return back from her work to home.

Miyano made Minato kick Junko’s bicycle which made her fall from the cycle.

But Miyano made Furuta believe it was purely coincidence and offered help to walk her back to the house. This is where Junko Furuta falls into their trap.

Together they went to a park, Where Ogura, Minato, and Watanabe waited for them.

In that park, they threatened Juko Furuta that they would kill her parents if she did not cooperate.

Halfway to her home they executed there to plan to kidnap Junko Furuta.

Where was Junko Furuta Kept Captive?

After 4 boys overpowered her.

They have taken her to a house in Adachi, Ayase, which is Minato’s parent’s house.

In Minato’s house, they held Junko Furuta as a prisoner.

This place and its gang hang out to commit crimes.

In this place they have raped several women like Junko Furuta, They have told this in their statement.

When Police Started Investigation?

After 2 day of Junko Furuta disappearance,

In November, 27th 1988, Junko’s parents lodged a complaint at their nearby police station.

When they learned that police started their investigation.

They tortured Junko Furuta to tell her mother that she ran away and she is safe.

Another incident was they made her act as Minato’s girlfriend when his parents visited the house.

What Happened to Junko Furuta on November 25, 1988?

On November 25, 1988, a teenage girl named Junko Furuta was walking home from her part-time job when she was attacked by a boy.

During the attack, she was forced to a house where her abductors lived in Adachi, Tokyo.

The four boys – Hiroshi Miyano, Shinji Minato, Jo Ogura, and Yasushi Watanabe – who were responsible for the crime committed a series of horrific acts of cruelty on Furuta.

During the 44 days she was in captivity, she was subjected to an unprecedented level of brutality and torture.

She was rapped by her captors numerous times a day, forced to drink her own urine and to perform sexual acts in front of them.

Junko was also beaten with golf clubs, bamboo sticks, and iron rods. She was also inserted with foreign objects, such as lightbulbs and fireworks.

After 20 days, she could no longer walk due to severe leg burns and severely injured muscles.

She was also forced to sleep on a balcony in the cold winter, and her hands were damaged so badly that it took her over an hour to crawl down to the bathroom.

Her eardrums were also damaged and her brain size was reduced. She couldn’t even pee properly after 30 days, as her internal organs were harmed by foreign objects and burned by cigarettes and lighters.

As her injuries worsened, Junko tried to call the police for help but was disconnected by her captors before she could say a word.

As punishment for her call, she was beaten severely and burned with lighter fluid.

The boys also crushed her stomach with dumbbells and hung her from the ceiling. She was eventually put in a 44-gallon drum and left to die

How was Junko Furuta’s Body Disposed of?

January 4, 1989, Junko died because of her brutal injury.

Minato’s brother learned that Junko Furuta died and informed his brother.

In order to escape from the police they wrapped her in a blanket and put her into a travel bag.

Then they put her into a drum (55 Gallon) and pour concrete into the drum.

Then around 8:00 PM, they loaded drums in a truck in Koto, Tokyo.

When do they get Arrested?

On 23rd January 1989 police arrested all four killers.

They arrested them for the gang rape of a 19-year-old girl on 29th March.

During interrogation with Miyano, he confessed that he raped and killed Furuta.

And he told me where to find Junko’s body. Following day they found Junko Furuta’s body.

They identified her with her fingerprints.

What was the Punishment for Killers?

At that time their identity was not revealed by a court, because they were all juveniles.

But a famous journalist called Shukan Bunshun revealed all four killers in his journal.

In the judgment, the court declared all 4 rapers and killers felt guilty.

And they gave him 17 years of imprisonment for Hiroshi Miyano, But he appealed in Tokyo High Court.

Tokyo Court gave an additional 3 years to Miyano’s Crime, Which was the 2nd highest life imprisonment at that time for anyone.

Miyano Punishment

After his 20 years of the prison sentence, He applied for parole but it got denied,

In 2009 he got released from prison, but later got arrested due to evidence fraud in 2013.

Minato’s Punishment

Minato was sentenced to 3 to 4 years in prison.

After his release again he was arrested for assaulting a 32-year-old male.

He spent around 5 to 9 years in prison.

Yasushi Watanabe’s Punishment

Watanabe initially received 3 to 4 years of a prison sentence, but later it was upgraded to 5 to 8 years.

After his release in 1999, he was adopted by a family called “Kamisaku”

Jō Ogura’s Punishment

He received an 8-year life sentence.

But later he got arrested for assaulting Takatoshi Isono.

Isono was his girlfriend, he assaulted her by mistake and she may have been involved with the Junko Furuta case.

He killed Isono at her mother’s bar in Misato by beating and throwing her under the truck.

For this crime, he got an additional 7 years of a prison sentence.

Ogura’s mother believed these all happened because of dead Junko Furuta.

Conclusion

This Junko Furuta story shows how cruel the world was. Girls should be raised bravely, and boys should be raised to respect women taught by this story.

Bravery isn’t just about big gestures or superheroic feats – it comes from the small, everyday acts that can change the world for the better. Help your girl realize that courage isn’t about being bigger or scarier than the situation – it’s about pushing through her edge and doing whatever it takes to make a difference.