Body of Nursery School Teacher Found on Miyagi Coast; Possible Murder Case as Body Shows External Injuries to Chest

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:31 JST, April 14, 2025

The Miyagi Prefectural Police received a call from a passer-by at around 10:10 on Sunday morning reporting that a person had been found lying on the ground on the coast of Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found a woman lying face up with her clothes on. The woman was confirmed dead at the scene. She had multiple injuries on her chest and other parts of her body, and the police began an investigation, suspecting that it may be a murder case.

According to the prefectural police, the deceased was Yuka Gyoji (35), a nursery school teacher from Taihaku Ward in Sendai City. Although she was not carrying any identification or other personal belongings, her family had reported her missing earlier this year, saying that she had gone out alone and had not returned home.

The condition of the body suggests that she died not long ago. The prefectural police will conduct a judicial autopsy on Gyoji to determine the cause of death.

The scene is a beach about 3 kilometers southeast of Sendai Airport, and nearby is the artificial tsunami barrier “Sennen Kibo no Oka.”