A Taiwanese woman in her 30s travelling with a tour group was found dead on the morning of the 19th in a hotel room in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi. Japanese police arrested a 27-year-old Taiwanese woman at the scene on a knife-possession charge and are investigating how the victim died.
Liberty Times and Newtalk, citing Japanese media, reported that at about 8 a.m. on the 19th a woman in her 30s, believed to be a Taiwanese national, was found dead in a hotel room in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. When she failed to appear at the group's meeting time, hotel staff checked her room and called emergency services, who confirmed her death at the scene.
광고 문의 · 300×250The reports said the victim had bloodstains and what appeared to be stab wounds. Police found a 27-year-old Taiwanese woman in the same room holding a kitchen knife with a blade of about 12 cm and arrested her on the spot. Taiwanese outlets said Japanese media had published her name, but this newspaper is withholding it while the investigation is ongoing.
Charge and investigation
The legal basis for the arrest is possession of a blade without justifiable reason, a violation of Japan's firearms and swords control law. She has not been booked on homicide or other charges. Reports said police believe she may know how the woman died and are looking into the relationship between the two. Cause of death and whether it was a killing have not been established.
The details come from Taiwanese outlets relaying what Japanese media such as the Yomiuri Shimbun and Yamanashi TV attributed to investigators, and the reports do not confirm whether they reflect an official police statement. The motive and the women's relationship remain unconfirmed. This paper reports only what has been confirmed and avoids speculation.
Tourism bureau and travel agency respond
According to the Liberty Times, Taiwan's Tourism Administration said the travel agency made an emergency report right after the incident and local Japanese police have taken over the investigation. The agency will look after the remaining travellers and provide administrative help to the family. The group's trip ran from October 17 to 21.
The agency has contacted the family in Taiwan, is helping relatives travel to Japan and handle follow-up matters, and said it will cooperate fully with the Japanese police. It said the group carried travel insurance covering NT$2.5 million for accidental death and NT$200,000 for accidental medical costs. How to balance the local investigation, family support and care for the rest of the group will be the focus in the coming days.