Police in Takizawa City, Iwate Prefecture, have arrested a 36-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman on suspicion of violating the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals. The pair are accused of killing more than 20 hamsters at a hotel in mid-February and filming the acts.
The suspects are Motonori Kimura, a staff member at Miyako Fisheries High School, and an unemployed 19-year-old woman of no fixed address. The woman cannot be named because she is a minor.
According to police, the two communicated via social media about details such as the date and time of the acts. An investigation began after authorities received a tip earlier this year alleging that Kimura was abusing animals.
Kimura was hired by the school in April 2022 and worked as a crew member responsible for meal service on the training vessel Riasu-maru. He has not boarded the vessel since June 2, when the school was notified of the incident by prefectural police.