It has been 25 years since the murder of a girl in the 4th grade of elementary school in a series of child murders in Kobe in 1997.


In front of the cherry tree planted by classmates at the school where the girl attended, the father responded to the interview, "It was a heavy 25 years, but there is no break in the bereaved family. I want to continue to live at my own pace." Said.

Ayaka Yamashita (10 at the time), who was a fourth-year elementary school student, was hit by a 14-year-old boy at the time with a hammer in a series of child murders in Suma-ku, Kobe in 1997, and died on March 23. I did.

Six years after the incident, my classmates, parents, and teachers planted a cherry tree named "Ayaka Sakura" at the elementary school I attended. This month, my father Kenji Yamashita (73) was in front of the cherry tree. Responded to the interview.



Beside the big cherry blossoms, there is a plate with the words "I'm always by my side, even if I can't see it."



Her mother, Kyoko, who died of her illness five years ago, imagined her feelings for Ayaka.



Mr. Yamashita said, "I remember that the girl named Ayaka Yamashita was alive and well. I think her wife is watching over the cherry blossoms with Ayaka." rice field.



Regarding the date from the incident, he recalled, "It has been a long and heavy 25 years. I feel like I have carried a heavy cross, and I think it will continue to be the same. There is no break in her bereaved family."



Mr. Yamashita is a coach for youth baseball in the area, and he said, "I think Ayaka will be happy, and I will continue to do what I can at my own pace." I want to go. "

This is the full text of the memorandum sent by Kenji (73), the father of Ayaka Yamashita (10 at the time), to the media companies.

[Full text] Ayaka Yamashita's father Kenji's memorandum

To all the media companies



It has been 25 years since my beloved daughter Ayaka passed away at the age of 10.



Even if Ayaka's life is twice as long, her presence does not diminish, and it is firmly rooted in our hearts.



After the incident, my wife Kyoko was the main reason why I was able to continue walking even though I fell into an unimaginable feeling of despair, but since I died five years ago after the fight against illness, everyone around me With a lot of support, I was able to walk this far.



The words in the memorandum written by her wife, Kyoko, 20 years after the incident, are still engraved in my heart.



Over the course of 20 years, our family has learned that "in the midst of trials, the soul is refined, the deep kindness that wishes for the happiness of others, and the true strength to stand up even if it collapses." about it.



Family ties have become even stronger.



They are treasures that can never be bought with money, and it is nothing but Ayaka's life and teaching.



From now on, I think it is my role to carefully return what I have experienced and learned to society.



The letter from the perpetrator's man has not arrived since 2018, but do you feel like compensating for the victim's family?

I would like to continue to seek "compensation and apology" in my own way.



March 2022 Kenji Yamashita