A Man Believed to Be 1970s Bombing Suspect Satoshi Kirishima, Possibly Hiding in Kanagawa, Told Hospital Staff, ‘I Want To Meet My End Under My Real Name’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:04 JST, January 27, 2024

A man, 70, believed to be Satoshi Kirishima, a suspect wanted in connection with a series of bombings that targeted companies in the 1970s, was working for a civil engineering-related company in Kanagawa Prefecture before being admitted to hospital, the Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Safety Bureau is working to confirm the man’s true identity while investigating the possibility that Kirishima had been hiding in Kanagawa Prefecture for a long time.

The man was hospitalized in Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture this year, according to sources involved in the investigation. He initially used a false name at the hospital but on Thursday told the staff, “My name is Satoshi Kirishima.” He allegedly said, “I want to meet my end under my real name.” He is suffering from terminal stomach cancer.

Upon receiving a call from the Kanagawa Prefectural police, the Public Safety Bureau dispatched investigators to the hospital on Thursday to interview the man on a voluntary basis. He is said to have explained that he had been working for a civil engineering-related company in Kanagawa Prefecture prior to his hospitalization. The investigators confirmed with the company that he had in fact been working there for a long period of time.

The man is believed to have used a false name at work as well, and the company was unaware that he is potentially suspect Kirishima.

The Public Safety Bureau believes that there is a high possibility that the man is Kirishima, based on his physical characteristics. A DNA typing test will be conducted to confirm the identity of the man.