Kitakyushu arson-murder trial opens; ex-resident denies killing six in 2017 fire
In short
The lay-judge trial of Koji Inoue, 58, an unemployed former resident of a Kitakyushu apartment building, opened on 5 October at the Fukuoka District Court's Kokura branch, where he denied the charges, saying “I have nothing to do with it.” He is accused of setting fire to the Nakamura-so building on 7 May 2017, killing six residents and injuring five others. Both sides say the case turns on whether the fire was arson and whether Inoue was the person who started it, with no direct evidence of the ignition reported.
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The lay-judge trial of Koji Inoue, 58, an unemployed former resident of the Nakamura-so apartment building in Kitakyushu, opened on 5 October at the Fukuoka District Court's Kokura branch, with presiding judge Junpei Miyoshi on the bench. Inoue denied the charges, telling the court, “I have nothing to do with it.” He is charged with intrusion, arson of an inhabited building, murder and attempted murder. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
According to the indictment as described by the outlets, the fire was set between about 23:10 and 23:15 on 7 May 2017 at the building in Shimizu, Kokurakita Ward. The two-storey wood-and-mortar building of about 283 square metres was destroyed. Sixteen people lived there and 14 were at home at the time; six residents aged 55 to 84 were found dead and five people were injured. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
In their opening statement, prosecutors argued the fire was deliberately set, citing an appraisal of the point of origin and experiments on how cigarette fires burn, and saying a high-powered burner was used to ignite combustible materials over a wide area. They said security camera footage showed a suspicious person near the building around the time of the fire and, in separate footage, the defendant travelling from his then home towards Nakamura-so; Nippon TV reported that police analysed footage from more than 70 cameras and identified the person as Inoue. TBS reported the prosecution also said he had complained about the building's management company while living there and had said he would set a fire. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
The defence argued the fire was not necessarily arson and that Inoue had no motive, saying he lived in the building for only about one month, from June to July 2016, roughly a year before the fire, and that he did not go near the scene. Livedoor News reported the defence acknowledged that some camera footage showed the defendant but maintained he had not gone to the building. [ 2 , 5 , 7 ]
Reports said there is no direct evidence of the moment the fire started. Inoue was arrested and indicted in 2024. Outlets said the trial will turn on two questions: whether the fire was arson and whether Inoue was the person who set it. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Sankei Shimbun and Nippon TV reported the trial is expected to run about three months, closing on 3 December with a verdict on 14 January 2027. TBS framed the case as one that could end in a death sentence or an acquittal. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Why it matters
A single fire that killed six people in an apartment building nearly a decade ago is now the subject of a months-long lay-judge trial in which prosecutors rely on circumstantial evidence, including security camera footage, rather than direct proof. TBS framed the case as one that could end in a death sentence or an acquittal, giving the outcome weight for how arson-murder cases without direct evidence are handled. The victim toll and the age of the case have kept it in national news coverage in Japan.
Key facts
- Koji Inoue, 58, an unemployed former resident of the Nakamura-so apartment, denied the charges at the opening hearing of his lay-judge trial on 5 October 2026, telling the court, “I have nothing to do with it.” [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- He is charged with intrusion, arson of an inhabited building, murder and attempted murder over the 7 May 2017 fire at the building in Shimizu, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]
- Sixteen people lived in the building and 14 were at home when the fire broke out; six residents aged 55 to 84 were killed and five were injured. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- Prosecutors said the fire was arson, citing an appraisal of the point of origin and combustion experiments, and pointed to security camera footage showing a suspicious person and the defendant travelling towards the building. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- Defence lawyers said the fire was not necessarily arson and that Inoue had no motive, having lived in the building for only about one month around a year before the fire. [ 2 , 5 , 7 ]
- Reports said there is no direct evidence of the moment of ignition, and the main points of dispute are whether the fire was arson and whether Inoue was the perpetrator. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Inoue was arrested and indicted in 2024. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The trial is due to close on 3 December, with a verdict scheduled for 14 January 2027. [ 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Inoue denied the charges at the first hearing, saying “I have nothing to do with it.” [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The first hearing was held at the Fukuoka District Court's Kokura branch before presiding judge Junpei Miyoshi. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The charges include murder and arson of an inhabited building in connection with the 2017 fire. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]
- Six residents died and five were injured in the fire at the Nakamura-so building, where 14 of 16 residents were present. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The trial's main points of dispute are whether the fire was arson and whether Inoue was the perpetrator. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The defence said Inoue had no motive and denied he had been at the scene. [ 2 , 5 , 7 ]
- Prosecutors based their case on burn analysis, security camera footage and circumstantial evidence. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- A verdict is scheduled for 14 January 2027. [ 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the fire was deliberately set is disputed. Listed as a main point of dispute by several outlets; the defence says the fire was not necessarily arson, and no determination has been reported.
- Whether Inoue was the person who started the fire is disputed. The defence denies he went to the scene and says he had no motive; the prosecution case rests on circumstantial evidence and reports say there is no direct footage of the ignition.
- The device named in the indictment is described differently by different outlets. Some outlets describe a gas-torch-like object, another a gas-burner-like object.
- The prosecution's stated motive — that Inoue complained about the building's management company and said he would set a fire — is reported by one outlet only. Single-source account of the prosecution's opening statement; the defence denies any motive.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 7 May 2017, between about 23:10 and 23:15, fire broke out at the Nakamura-so apartment in Shimizu, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu; the building was destroyed and six residents aged 55 to 84 were killed, with five others injured. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- On 5 October 2026, the first reports said the trial had opened at the Fukuoka District Court's Kokura branch and that the defendant had denied the charges. [ 1 ]
- Further reports detailed the prosecution's stated motive and the defence's not-guilty argument, and said the trial would run about three months. [ 5 ]
- Reporting added the prosecution's reliance on the point-of-origin appraisal and cigarette combustion experiments, and the defence claim that there was no motive. [ 7 ]