A deathbed confession is when a person who is close to death feels the need to confess to any number of things. While these can be family secrets like hidden children, sometimes individuals confess to being criminals who managed to evade arrest.
Recently, a terminally ill man’s confession ended a nearly half-century-long manhunt.
| Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo
In the 1970s, the East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front, a radical, far-left organization, was believed to be responsible for several bombings in Tokyo, including one that targeted a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries building that left eight dead and injured more than 300 people.
Following this incident, seven members of the organization were arrested, including leader Masashi Daidoji and Toshiaki Masunaga, who both received death sentences.
The 1975 bombing | Kyodo
Several organization members attempted to evade capture, including the then-21-year-old Satoshi Kirishima, who was wanted for his involvement in another bombing. As a result of his evasion, Kirishima was placed on Japan’s most-wanted list and had posters showing his appearance spread all over the country.
Satoshi Kirishima wanted poster.
Kirishima successfully hid from police for nearly fifty years, only to be discovered when he revealed his identity in January 2024. The now 70-year-old man had entered a hospital to undergo treatment for his terminal cancer and told staff that he wanted to die using his real name.
For nearly fifty years, Kirishima had gone by the alias Hiroshi Uchida and done construction work, building a life in Fujisawa City, outside of Tokyo.
The home where Kirishima reportedly lived. | Yumi Asada/ABC News
To avoid being caught, Kirishima reportedly avoided using banks, asked to be paid in cash, and did not own a phone or even a driver’s license. He was also familiar to those in the area, visiting the local public baths and bar where he was affectionately known as “Ucchi.”
After his statement, police arrested Kirishima and performed a DNA test to confirm his confession. Kirishima died on January 29, following multiple interviews with the police, and a drinking buddy later shared a more recent photo where a resemblance to the person on the wanted posters can be seen.
A more recent photo of Kirishima.
DNA confirmed Kirishima’s identity in early February, ending the decades-long manhunt. However, many have been left feeling frustrated he did not have his day in court.
On the other hand, police have stated they will investigate to see if he was aided during his decades of hiding.
