Unemployed 33-year-old allegedly left note in her mailbox, admitted to charge

Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested Ichitarō Shiba, a 33-year-old unemployed man from Tokyo's Kami-Takada district, on Thursday for repeatedly stalking 33-year-old entertainer, singer, and actress Shoko Nakagawa near her home.

According to investigators, the suspect dropped a note that read in part, "Please tell me how to reach you," in the mailbox at Nakagawa's Tokyo home in late August. After Nakagawa contacted the police, the police filed a warning over Japan's anti-stalking law in early September.

Even though the suspect had received the warning, he was allegedly stalking near Nakagawa's home on Thursday evening. After receiving a report, the police rushed to the scene and arrested the suspect.

The police reported that the suspect admitted to the charge, and he claimed, "I had lost my home key, and I don't have friends or anyone to turn to, so I thought I might turn to Nakagawa."

After the media reported on the arrest, Nakagawa posted on her blog about it on Friday evening. She noted that the suspect was arrested, but that does not mean her fear and anxiety has gone away. She thinks that are many who have endured similar ordeals in the world. Still, with this suspect's arrest, she hopes that stalking cases like this will dwindle or even stop happening in the future.

Sources: Sankei News, Mainichi Shimbun, Oricon via Hachima Kikō