THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Woman arrested near Tokyo for sewing roommate's lips together MITO (Kyodo) -- A 49-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly sewing together the lips of a woman she was living with, according to local police

Woman arrested in Japan for sewing roommate’s lips together A 49-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly sewing together the lips of a woman she was living with, according to local police. Masae Sakurai, a part-time worker living in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of injuring the 42-year-old woman by sewing her lips together with a needle and thread at Sakurai’s house on June 29. The 42-year-old, who had been living with Sakurai since around April 2025, told the police that she “had been too scared to...

Woman 'sewed roommate's lips shut' as victim managed to escape and alerted store worker with 'help me' note. Masae Sakurai 49 from Koga was taken into custody on Monday, July 6, on suspicion of injuring the woman 42 she shared a home with, according to police reports in Japan. No reason why.🤬Bully!

Japan woman, 49, arrested for sewing together lips of female roommate ... The victim ran to a store and showed the employee a note with the words, "help me". Photos via Canva (for illustrative purposes only). A woman, 49, has been arrested in Japan for allegedly sewing together the lips of her roommate, a 42-year-old woman, using a thread and needle. The victim only managed to seek help when she ran to a nearby store and showed the store employee a piece of paper with the words, "Help me". According to Japanese news portalNews on Japan, the incident took place in Koga, a Japanese city which is about an hour's drive north of Tokyo. The suspect, Masae Sakurai, is supposedly a part-time worker. She is suspected of sewing together the lips of her 42-year-old roommate several times at about 1:30pm on Jun. 29. The victim told local police that she was unable to flee immediately as she was afraid of Sakurai. The woman had apparently been living in Sakurai's home since April 2025. Police did not disclose the extent of the woman's injuries, but said her life was not in danger,News on Japanwrote. A nearby resident shared that Sakurai had little contact with neighbours and expresse…

Woman sews roommate’s lips shut in horrifying attack in Japan A dispute between roommates in Tokyo led to one woman to sew the other's lips shut "with a needle and thread," sending the victim rushing out into the streets for help and only able to communicate with a hand-written sign reading "please help me."

Woman arrested near Tokyo for sewing roommate's lips together A police car in Japan. (Mainichi) MITO (Kyodo) -- A 49-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly sewing together the lips of a woman she was living with, according to local police. Masae Sakurai, a part-time worker living in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of injuring the 42-year-old woman by sewing her lips together with a needle and thread at Sakurai's house on June 29. The 42-year-old, who had been living with Sakurai since around April 2025, told the police that she "had been too scared to run away" before the incident, according to the police. The injured woman fled to a nearby shop where an employee called the police. The police did not disclose whether Sakurai has admitted to the allegations. There were also other people living at the house and police suspect they may have been present during the incident. Font Size S M L Print Related Articles Read more on crime & accidents in Japan

Unusual living arrangement in spotlight after Ibaraki woman accused of ... Unusual living arrangement in spotlight after Ibaraki woman accused of sewing roommate’s lips By Tokyo Reporter Staff on July 8, 2026 IBARAKI (TR) – Police in Koga City have arrested a 49-year-old woman on suspicion of sewing her housemate’s lips shut , a shocking crime that has shed light on a bizarre communal living situation, reports TV Asahi (July 7). Masae Sakurai, a self-described part-time worker, was sent to prosecutors on Tuesday. She is accused of using a needle and thread to stitch together the upper and lower lips of a 42-year-old woman at their shared residence in the Morokawa area of Koga City on June 29. According to police, the victim managed to escape the following day while Sakurai was away from the house. Emaciated and wearing a surgical mask, the woman fled to a shop about 170 meters away. Unable to open her mouth, she placed a small scrap of paper on the counter. The handwritten note read: “Please help me. I cannot speak, so please make a phone call. Please call the police.” The shop owner, who did not realize the woman’s lips had been stitched together beneath the mask, immediately con…

Woman arrested over allegedly sewing roommate's lips together A 49-year-old woman from Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, has been arrested for allegedly sewing her roommate’s lips together, according to media reports. Masae Sakurai was arrested on Monday on suspicion of injuring her 42-year-old roommate by sewing her lips shut on June 29 using a needle and a thread at a house where they lived, NHK reported, citing police. The police said the incident came to light after the victim fled the house on June 30 and ran into a nearby store, showing a piece of paper with a message seeking help, as she had difficulty speaking due to the injury, the report said. The woman reportedly told police that she couldn’t run away immediately because she was afraid of Sakurai, according to the report. The two women are believed to have been living together since April last year. The victim escaped when Sakurai was away from the house. Police are investigating the relationship between the two and how the incident occurred. Sakurai’s acquaintances told TV Asahi that they heard she had been letting people who ran away from their homes live in her house and had been helping them find jobs, suggesting the …