'I wanted to erase her existence': Japanese man stalked ex-girlfriend, disguised himself as delivery worker to kill her

Unable to get over his ex-girlfriend, a Japanese man stalked and subsequently killed her on New Year's Eve at her home.

Takumi Ouchi, 29, who is on trial, admitted to the crimes in court on Sept 14, saying that he did so to "erase her existence and hit reset", reported Japan Today.

Ouchi's relationship with 31-year-old Haruka Komatsumoto, ended in 2024 after she broke up with him.

He was a customer at her workplace, and she was his first and only girlfriend.

He told the court he became obsessed with her after the break up, Tokyo Reporter reported.

Ouchi, who lives in the town of Shirosato in Ibaraki Prefecture, began to stalk her after she blocked his number and social media accounts.

He attempted to find her whereabouts over a six-month period, using GPS tracking devices to determine her location. 

It was also revealed in court that Komatsumoto, who worked as a nail artist, had made an anonymous call to the police on Dec 27, 2025, seeking advice.

The police determined that there was no urgency to respond to the case and told her to lodge a report, reported Japan Today.

After finding the exact location of her home, Ouchi disguised himself as a delivery worker on Dec 31, 2025.

When she answered the door, he attacked her and struck her head with a hammer. 

"After hitting her with a hammer, I didn't know if she was alive or dead, so I stabbed her with a kitchen knife to finish her off," he told the court.

Ouchi said he did not know she was married and pregnant before killing her.

He said: "If I had known she was married and pregnant, I don't think I would have gone that far."

Police arrested Ouchi on Jan 21, after locating him in surveillance footage near her home around the time she was murdered, reported South China Morning Post.

However, prosecutors noted Ouchi's lack of remorse following the murder, after hearing that he visited a sex worker on New Year's Day after the killing.

The verdict is set for Sept 30.

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