Nine dismembered bodies were uncovered in an apartment in Zama City, located southwest of Tokyo, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.

Eight women and one man are believed to have died, national broadcaster NHK reported, citing Tokyo authorities.

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Authorities arrested a 27-year-old suspect, identified as Takahiro Shiraishi, after he confessed to cutting up the bodies, a Tokyo police spokesman said.

The suspect attempted to hide the bodies in coolers and covered them with cat litter. Local media reported that investigators first found the severed heads of two victims in coolers in the entryway of the apartment.

The man's neighbors reportedly noticed a foul smell coming from the apartment.

Missing woman among the dead

Police made the gruesome discovery while searching for a 23-year-old woman who had disappeared, a police spokesman said. The woman is believed to be among the deceased.

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The young woman contacted the suspect via social media, seeking someone for a suicide pact, according to police.

Security camera footage shows the two walking together near the suspect's apartment last week.

The woman's brother contacted police a few days prior after discovering that his sister contacted the man on Twitter.

rs/rc (AP, dpa)