The Setagaya Massacre: The Phantom Killer That Has Baffled Japan for Over 20 Years

On the final night of the 20th century, a tragedy unfolded in a quiet Tokyo suburb that would haunt Japan for decades. The entire Miyazawa family—a father, mother, and two young children—were brutally murdered in their own home.

But this was no ordinary killer. After the heinous act, he didn't flee. He stayed for hours. He ate ice cream from their fridge, used their computer, took a nap, and left behind a mountain of evidence: his DNA, his fingerprints, his blood, and his entire outfit. The clues point to a man of mixed European and East Asian descent, wearing shoes never sold in Japan, with sand from the American southwest in his bag.

Despite over 280,000 investigators and a 20 million yen reward, the identity of this bizarre phantom remains one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries.

Join Julian on The East Files as we unpack the chilling details of the Setagaya Family Massacre and ask: how can a killer leave everything behind, yet simply vanish?