In 1988, 17-year-old Junko Furuta was a popular, hardworking high school senior in Saitama, Japan. She dreamt of becoming a singer. On her way home from a part-time job, she was abducted by a group of teenage boys, beginning a 40+ day nightmare that would become one of the most notorious crimes in Japan's post-war history.
In this episode, we walk through the timeline of her captivity, the perpetrators involved, the investigation that finally uncovered the truth, and the controversial, lenient sentences that followed — sentences that still spark outrage in Japan decades later.
⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses graphic violence and the death of a minor. Listener discretion advised.
🎥 Listen the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhmNRqjsHF3a8_VKNhvI2bMuiDb9en3HcLink to my book "The Final Draft: A Gripping Psychological Thriller With Deadly Twists Set in Nepal": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX2XFW11