Police investigate Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, on April 25 on suspicion that an employee burned the body of his wife in an incinerator. (Video taken by Chieko Hara)
ASAHIKAWA, Hokkaido–Police have arrested an Asahiyama Zoo employee here who said he burned the body of his wife in an incinerator at his workplace.
Tatsuya Suzuki, 33, who is accused of damaging a corpse, has admitted to the allegations, police said April 30.
According to investigative sources, Suzuki is believed to have brought the body of his wife, Yui, 33, to Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa city around March 31, and then burned the body in an incinerator, the sources said.
An associate of Yui who had been unable to contact her since late March consulted with policeon April 23.
During voluntary questioning, Suzuki told police he had abandoned and burned Yui’s body in an incinerator on the zoo grounds.
Police searched the incinerator and found what appeared to be part of a human body.
Asahiyama Zoo had originally planned to open for its summer season on April 29. But that was postponed to May 1 because of the police investigation.
DELAYED OPENING
A large line of people began streaming into the zoo grounds at 9:30 a.m.
A 44-year-old woman visiting from Tokyo with her 5-year-old son said she has mixed feeling about the incident.
“But my child has been really looking forward to coming here, so I am relieved the zoo opened. Thank you to the staff,” she said. “The animals have not done anything wrong.”
A 47-year-old man from Fukushima Prefecture said: “It is sad that the actions of a single person could tarnish the impression of the entire zoo. I hope it keeps doing its best just as before and welcomes animal lovers like me.”
The city opened Asahiyama Zoo in 1967.
There was a period when declining visitor numbers led to whispers of closure, but the zoo drew attention with “behavioral exhibits” designed to showcase animals’ distinctive abilities and natural behaviors.
In fiscal 2025, about 1.33 million people visited the zoo.
The city has received more than 1,000 comments from residents in connection with the police investigation.
Most were words of encouragement for the zoo and its staff, with messages such as “Asahiyama Zoo is a treasure of Asahikawa” and “For the sake of the animals, I hope all of you will get through this together.”
Before the zoo’s reopening on May 1, Asahikawa Mayor Hirosuke Imazu, whose administration oversees the zoo, apologized for the inconvenience and concern caused by the incident and the arrest of an employee.
“Drawing strength from the encouragement we have received, we will continue, as we always have, to firmly convey the vibrancy of the animals’ lives,” he said.
AloJapan.com