Themis' Uncertain Court (2026) s01e07 Episode Script
Episode 7
The Maebashi family murder case.
We are convinced
that Kazuma Akiba is innocent.
Prosecution, please submit
any evidence you have.
That will prove my father's innocence.
The prosecution seized
Mr. Akiba's MiniDV camera and tapes.
The recording date and time
should be embedded in that data.
The evidence submission?
We're working on it.
They have reported the MiniDV tape
we requested as "not found."
Huh?
Why do you and the prosecution
respond with "not found."
Answer me.
If you don't know what you don't know,
you'll never know what you need to know.
I want to know the truth.
I've joined the retrial proceeding,
and I will uncover what happened
25 years ago no matter what.
Do what you will.
I see you're still falling over.
Be sure to watch
where you're going.
Look who it is.
This used to be a hidden gem.
It was a hidden gem for me too.
Don't tell me, is that
ketchup instead of strawberry jam?
I've heard
that you eat nothing
but ketchup spaghetti at Paloma.
And also, that you buy large amounts
of ketchup at the supermarket.
I know I'm a picky eater.
I want to give up ketchup,
but I just can't.
You might like this.
It's onion soup.
My wife's a picky eater too.
She's currently pregnant,
but needs sustenance.
That's something she can stomach.
Today's conference is going to be tough.
I can see your accusatory looks.
This concerns the MiniDV tape
-you asked me to submit as evidence.
-That's right.
The fact is, it can't be located.
We even brought backup from HQ
to conduct a search, but
it wasn't there.
Quit snickering.
It's enough to make anyone laugh.
You expect me to believe that?
If HQ was involved, isn't it possible
someone deliberately hid it from you?
Mr. Yuki wouldn't do that.
Never.
He would never do that.
I will continue to investigate thoroughly.
Without the submission of key evidence,
there are no grounds
to grant a retrial at this time.
I think that's reasonable.
I agree.
We have no objections either.
Even if the district court granted it,
prosecution will appeal it in High Court,
and the retrial would probably be denied.
So we're stuck waiting
until the missing evidence
turns up?
In the past, proceedings have stalled
over matters like this, costing us years.
And in the end, the evidence never
surfaces, and the petition is denied.
Over the course of many years,
it ruins the lives of everyone involved.
How is this acceptable?
No
It's unacceptable.
A review of a petition for retrial
is different from an ordinary trial,
where the prosecution and the defendant
lead the proceedings, isn't it?
It's the court that leads
the effort to find new evidence.
They took the bait too easily.
Not "they." Mr. Kadokura took the bait.
That said, Japan's retrial system
does have undeniable flaws.
If there's something the court can do,
it should.
I, too
want the truth to come to light.
To reiterate, one of the primary factors
behind Kazuma Akiba's arrest
was motive.
Also
eyewitness testimony.
The reliability of
this eyewitness testimony is in question.
A witness claims to have seen
Kazuma Akiba here.
It was shortly after 8:00 p.m.,
and it was a dimly lit
residential neighborhood.
Given the conditions, it's doubtful
that the witness could have seen his face.
Let's conduct our own
on-site verification.
There is one more thing that concerns me.
We've gotten over one hundred tips after
the petitioner made a public appeal.
As is often the case,
most of the information is false.
Yes, but this interests me.
"I hope the truth about the Maebashi
family murder case comes to light."
It was sent with a paragraph from a copy
of theTown News from Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.
It conveys condolences for Tomoyo Hatori,
an engineer involved in crime prevention
who passed away after falling at home.
This is all that was sent?
That's all.
It clearly has nothing to do
with the murders.
That's why it's interesting.
All the other tips were directly related.
But this one has no connection whatsoever.
Which leads me to suspect
there's an unseen connection.
That's very Ando-like logic.
I'll look into this matter.
I'll help.
-I'll reexamine documents and evidence.
-Okay.
The rest of us will verify
the witness testimony.
Yes, sir.
I'm an alien.
Laws are social agreements.
If those agreements are broken
and mistakes are made,
we must admit our mistakes.
This is also an important agreement
that must be kept.
THEMIS' UNCERTAIN COUR
EPISODE 7
COURT-LED INQUISITORIAL PRINCIPLE
We spoke at Johoku Police Station.
You were calling for a reinvestigation
into Tomoyo's accident, right?
Correct.
But, they didn't accept it.
Please allow us to look into this matter.
What?
But why would a judge and a lawyer?
There are matters we can
and cannot discuss.
However,
I am interested in your daughter's
accidental death.
If there's a possibility of criminality,
legal measures,
and a lawyer, would be necessary, right?
I understand why I'd need a lawyer, but
Oh, no need to worry about him.
He's a special judge.
There's a jump in the conversation.
That doesn't explain anything.
It's fine.
Please face forward.
Well,
I felt I should say something.
I'm glad someone unexpectedly
showed an interest in my daughter's death.
Please look into it.
The apartment my daughter rented in Tokyo
has been untouched.
I visited every week
and looked into her life on my own.
My wife passed away from cancer
when Tomoyo was in college.
I'm all alone.
But, I'm not fixated on the truth
of my daughter's death out of loneliness.
Something about her death doesn't add up.
I believe
my daughter was murdered.
This is where the victim's house
stood at the time.
The location and number of streetlights
match the conditions at the time.
And from that vantage point
is where the eyewitness says they saw
Kazuma Akiba in front of the Bando house.
Mr. Ogihara and Attorney Yamakawa
are dressed as described in the testimony.
They'll walk through here
one after the other.
Please tell me which one is Mr. Ogihara.
Okay.
Ready?
Go ahead.
Next, please.
Which one was Mr. Ogihara?
The second person just now?
The first person.
You're wrong.
Both of you.
Neither of them was Mr. Ogihara.
What?
On Ms. Hozumi's orders,
I just dressed like this
and waited in hiding.
I had Yamakawa walk twice.
At that time, Kazuma Akiba
often wore a hat and green outerwear.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew
that he had
repeatedly shown up
at the Bando residence.
They only said they saw Kazuma Akiba
because of preconceived notions.
Mr. Furukawa!
Did you speak
with the original eyewitness?
No.
They said they didn't want
to bring up the past.
Well, if you knew your testimony led
to arrest, and it may have been wrong
Of course they'd hesitate.
However, I was able to speak
with the witness's family.
The testimony went from,
"It looked like Kazuma Akiba."
and somehow turned into,
"I saw Kazuma Akiba."
That's what they told us.
This case lacked solid physical evidence.
The weapon was a knife
from the victim's house.
Any fingerprints
appear to have been wiped away.
Kazuma Akiba was targeted
because of motive,
and vague eyewitness testimony
was elevated into key evidence.
And Deputy Prosecutor General Yuki.
-He forced a confession--
-He would never.
It's gotten cold out.
Let's go get a warm drink
or something, alright?
It's pretty cold out, isn't it?
Let's take a break.
Pick one.
-Ah I'll take the coffee, then.
-Sure.
Thank you.
Say
Why is it that you believe in Mr. Yuki
so much?
I owe a great deal
to Mr. Yuki.
When I was in middle school,
my father, who was a bus driver,
passed away in an accident while at work.
On top of that,
some passengers were killed or injured.
My father was chronically ill,
but he hid his illness
and went about his work.
His company said it was my father's fault.
The victims' families blamed him too.
But Mr. Yuki
revealed that the accident
was caused by poor maintenance.
He cleared my father's name.
I see.
So then, you looked up to Mr. Yuki
and became a prosecutor yourself.
When I became a prosecutor,
Mr. Yuki was happier for me
than anybody else.
Hidetoshi Yuki is a man of justice.
But that might be
just one side of him.
I admit that the eyewitness testimony
may lack credibility.
However, unless new testimony emerges,
it's still just speculation, isn't it?
No, not at all.
My grades were good.
That's nice.
I can help you next time if you want.
Nah, it's fine.
Excuse me, I have a question.
Did there used to be
a cram school around here?
-Come in.
-Thank you.
Tomoyo was quite young,
but must have had a substantial income.
She was just beginning
to establish herself.
But there are some who earn
tens of millions of yen.
My daughter was building a cyber defense
system for a major security firm.
When a breach occurs, she would diagnose
the system and plan countermeasures.
She was also involved
in cybercrime prevention, correct?
She mostly focused on fraud schemes.
She also helped out
with workshops for residents.
-Come in.
-Thank you.
Tomoyo fell
and hit her head here, correct?
That's right.
Aside from removing the bloodstains,
everything has been left as it was.
She was suffering
from severe overwork.
And just before the fall, she had taken
four sleeping pills instead of two.
She was knocked unconscious
after hitting her head.
With no one to help her,
she died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Mr. Ando?
Excuse me May I take some pictures?
Yes, go ahead.
Mr. Hatori, you mentioned there were
suspicious aspects to Tomoyo's death?
When I checked her phone records,
she dialed 110, the police,
right around the time she fell.
When I asked the police to look into it,
they said she disconnected immediately.
They said she may have mistakenly dialed
110 instead of 119, the emergency number.
They said mixing up the numbers
happens all the time.
But that doesn't
make any sense to me.
Was this Tomoyo's hobby?
She used to call it "her thing."
Her thing
She's not a trainspotter,
she's an ambulance spotter.
Ambulance spotter?
Yes.
She toured fire stations nationwide,
photographed ambulances, and talked about
them with other ambulance enthusiasts.
It's something she was
very passionate about.
Looking at the lined-up photos,
it's clear none has the same design.
Interesting. I could look at them forever.
If Tomoyo had heard what you just said,
she would've been delighted.
At any rate, there's no way
my daughter would have tried to call 119,
and mistakenly dialed 110.
A stranger must have been visiting,
and she must have sensed
her life was in danger.
And that's why she tried dialing 110.
Did the intercom camera pick up
any suspicious individuals?
No.
How about the building's cameras?
Most units are privately-owned, so there's
only one camera at the entrance.
Nobody suspicious
was recorded on that either.
But there's one other thing
that bothers me.
I'm pretty sure
one of her laptops disappeared.
I remember it being a dark red color.
I looked for it everywhere,
but couldn't find it.
You mean,
there's a possibility it was stolen?
Yes.
Please, I hope you'll keep that in mind.
I'm afraid I can't agree
with Mr. Hatori on this.
No matter how much she loved ambulances,
she still hit her head when she fell.
It's likely she'd press the wrong buttons.
I agree.
No suspicious individuals
were seen either.
Her laptop may have been sent for repairs,
among other reasons.
I think
that Mr. Hatori hasn't come to terms
with his daughter's death.
Either way, I have no idea how this is
linked to the Maebashi family murder case.
Yes. No idea.
-If you don't know what you don't know--
-You'll never know what you need to know.
We'll continue a thorough investigation.
Yes.
Maebashi District Court First Branch.
Sorry for the trouble, however,
Judge Kadokura is out on business.
Yes.
Yes Well
He won't be back into the office today.
Yes.
I see.
Thank you.
Ms. Tsumura!
I'd like your advice about
the Maebashi family murder case.
Not my duty.
Just a moment of your time.
I have a reservation
at a popular BBQ place.
What is it?
Eating BBQ by yourself?
I was right about you being single.
Huh?
Wait a second, I'll go with you.
Wait, BBQ with you?
Spare me.
Objection overruled.
There are records compiled by the defense
team involved in the retrial petitions,
regarding the victim's acquaintances.
The victim, Tomoyasu Bando,
had a business card from Toshiki Tatsumi,
from a real estate company
in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
This company went bankrupt in 2006.
Tomoyasu Bando was a librarian.
Why was a librarian in Gunma in contact
with a real estate company in Tokyo?
The victim wrote the date they met
on the back of the business card.
According to the date, it was one year
before the incident.
So?
I'd like to look into this real estate
company just to be sure.
This needs to be investigated
from a different angle.
It might have something to do
with the incident.
So?
You know a lot about real estate,
don't you, Ms. Tsumura?
You only rely on me
when it's convenient for you.
I wanted to consult you on this matter
because it aligns with your expertise.
Crab.
Crab?
Snow crab, red king crab,
horsehair crab, blue king crab
Crab sashimi, grilled crab,
grilled crab innards in shell.
-Crab porridge, crab rice--
-I see. Your consultation fee.
I will check whether
this goes against judicial ethics
and consult my supervisor.
Alright, it's settled then.
The Minato Ward area underwent
major redevelopment 25 years ago.
There seem to be all sorts
of urban legends, too.
I'll look into it.
-Thank you.
-Sure.
Mr. Ando.
Mr. Ando!
Yes?
So, you finally noticed.
You really do respond to women's voices.
Thanks, Ms. Tanaka.
No problem.
You haven't ordered yet,
and you're already in your own world.
Your usual ketchup spaghetti meal, right?
Oh.
Mr. Ando?
ONION SOUP
What's this?
Huh?
Sorry for having you make this for me.
Not at all. I'm interested in whether
you can eat something other than ketchup.
Here you are. My special onion soup.
I can eat it. It's palatable.
I'm glad!
I'll start making this at home,
and stop coming to Paloma.
What?
I'm giving up ketchup.
Wait, wait, wait. Please keep coming.
I'll add this to the menu. Okay?
Thank you.
Wait. You don't have to give up
ketchup entirely, right?
Right? With this
Thought you'd be here.
Good evening.
One hot coffee, please.
Coming right up.
Mr. Ando.
I learned something.
It's about the dark red laptop
that went missing.
It's actually a tablet, to be exact.
The city provided rooms for the fraud
scheme prevention workshops.
I checked in with the staff there.
They said Ms. Hatori always had
a dark red tablet with her.
There was a workshop the day she died,
during which she used her tablet
to show materials on a screen.
She didn't send it in for repairs.
Things that were there
before the accident are missing.
What on earth could this mean?
A missing tablet
and a call to 110 just before she died
-This is getting mysterious.
-Yes.
We'll keep investigating, including any
link to the Maebashi family murders case.
I have one thing I'm concerned
about as well.
A Tokyo real estate agency
business card the victim, Mr. Bando, had.
I had Ms. Tsumura look into it.
It seems the company was involved
in Matsukawadai's redevelopment back then.
Mr. Bando owned land here
he had inherited from his parents,
and he refused offers to sell it.
But after the incident, a relative
inherited and sold it off.
Land development, huh.
Something's fishy about this.
Yes, there is.
What is, or is not, connected?
I'll continue investigating
with Ms. Tsumura's help.
Also.
About the eyewitness testimony
I've got a new lead.
At the location,
I met some kids going home
from cram school.
I wondered if there was one back then too,
and there was one old cram school.
I searched everywhere
for anyone who had
attended that cram school 25 years ago.
When the crime occurred,
just after 8:00 p.m.,
someone passed by the Bando residence.
Apparently, a man was seen wearing a cap
and green outerwear.
Was it Kazuma Akiba?
No, just someone who looked like him.
At the time, elementary schoolers
were scared of Kazuma Akiba,
since he stalked Naoya Bando.
They'd think, "Oh, it's Akiba,"
then look away as he passed by.
What's new about that?
After passing by,
the students would look back.
On the side of the man's neck
was a large birthmark, apparently.
A birthmark?
Did Kazuma Akiba have one on his neck?
He didn't.
At the time, they told their parents,
who reported it to the police.
But it was dismissed because
it was children's testimony.
It's become even more likely
that it wasn't Kazuma Akiba
However, it still cannot be considered
conclusive evidence.
The fact that Kazuma Akiba's face
couldn't be identified at the scene,
and now there's new testimony.
Overall, this counts
as sufficient evidence!
The prosecution doesn't see it that way.
Now, now.
Prosecutor Furukawa has a point.
Everyone is in agreement
that a retrial should be held.
Conclusive evidence is needed.
What is it, Ando?
Ms. Onozaki, please call
Mr. Hatori immediately.
I want to check something
in Tomoyo's apartment.
Huh?
Right away.
Ms. Onozaki is 150 cm tall,
which is the same height as Tomoyo.
Please stand on this and open the vent.
Oh Sure.
I'll support you just in case.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
Alright.
Oh!
There it is! Just as I thought.
That's it!
Wow.
Her whole apartment
was tidy and well-kept.
However, only the washbasin and this
were not neatly aligned here.
I think the force of the fall
caused it to topple.
My daughter stood on this
while trying to hide her tablet,
lost her balance, and fell
Hiding it here means Tomoyo was trying to
say something important when calling 110.
Find anything?
I'm not seeing anything unusual
Hm?
What's this?
Hm?
"Crime Prevention Consultant
Haruhiko Kiuchi."
There's a video.
Probably footage from the workshop
Tomoyo was helping out with.
I'm a crime prevention consultant.
My name is Haruhiko Kiuchi.
Thank you very much for coming today.
Now then, please take a look
at the first page.
"It's okay."
"Really, it's fine."
No!
People who say those things
are the most vulnerable! Got it?
A phone call from your son is a scam.
Your son is a scam.
Your son is a scam.
What would they do if their son
really did call them?
I'm glad I had a daughter.
There are cases where they claim
to be a daughter.
Don't say more than you need to.
Huh? What's this?
It looks like that Mr. Kiuchi guy
is following a woman.
Tomoyo must have recorded this.
But, why would Tomoyo
do something like that?
The woman is Yasuyo Ueki, who previously
attended a seminar on phone scams.
This video was filmed on October 18th.
Someone broke into
Ms. Ueki's house after this.
The culprit was never caught.
Others who attended the workshop
were also victims of robbery.
These also remain unresolved.
In other words
Camouflage.
Haruhiko Kiuchi posed
as a crime prevention consultant,
became friendly with the elderly, learned
about their finances, environment,
and behavioral patterns, and then broke
into their homes, repeatedly robbing them.
I believe Tomoyo was investigating
Kiuchi's suspicious behavior.
The day of the workshop and her death,
Tomoyo left partway through.
When I spoke with the staff,
I learned Tomoyo was checking
the list of workshop participants.
Two of the participants had been victims.
Ms. Hatori.
What are you up to?
Ah Nothing really.
Tomoyo was reportedly terrified the moment
she made eye contact with Mr. Kiuchi.
Thinking she'd been noticed, she ran home
and hid the tablet in the vent.
Her unstable footing caused her to fall,
hitting her head.
We have informed the police and are having
Haruhiko Kiuchi questioned voluntarily.
Apparently, his name is an alias.
So the accident happened
while trying to hide evidence.
That's what really happened.
But what does this have to do
with the Maebashi family murder?
Why was this anonymous information sent?
Hm? Mr. Ando?
What is it, Ando?
Ms. Yakumo, please zoom in.
Okay.
Please look here.
Haruhiko Kiuchi
has a large birthmark
on the side of his neck.
New testimony says a man seen
near the Bando residence at the time
had a large birthmark
on the side of his neck.
Meaning
it's possible it wasn't Kazuma Akiba.
Also
We received an anonymous tip.
This man,
Haruhiko Kiuchi
has a large birthmark
on the side of his neck.
I see this doesn't surprise you.
Could you
have known about this?
Help came from HQ,
but nobody was able
to find the key evidence.
Was this intentionally covered up?
-Answer me, Mr. Yuki!
-I'll handle this.
Don't pry unnecessarily.
Mr. Yuki.
I still
believe in you.
Please tell me the truth.
You're about to have a kid, right?
Make wise decisions.
That is all.
So that's how it is.
We still don't have all the answers.
Tomoyo noticed the criminal activity,
and desperately tried
to preserve the evidence.
That is indisputable.
She's always been scatterbrained.
But
She had a strong sense of justice.
I'm glad.
Now that I know the truth
I'm relieved.
Thank you so much.
Aki Yoshizawa said to me
My father was killed
He was killed by the law.
As for what we've been investigating,
I'm shocked all over again.
A truly innocent person was executed.
Which means,
the real culprit was left free
at the same time.
What would Mr. Hatori think if he knew?
Tomoyo might not have died in an accident.
False accusations led to further tragedy.
The truth from 25 years ago
could shake the very foundations
of the justice system.
Everyone will lose faith
in the justice system.
Yes?
Dr. Yamaji, you have a phone call.
It's from a Mr. Yuki.
Put him through.
It's Hidetoshi.
There's something I'd like
to discuss with you.
Let's talk in person.
Okay.
Then, how about tomorrow night?
Are you free?
Yes.
Alright then.
Please meet me in the lobby
of Centreve Hotel at 8:00 p.m.
Very well.
See you then.
HIDETOSHI YUKI
KAORUKO YAMAJI
Doctor?
Ando
Right through here.
Ando
It's related to what happened
25 years ago.
What's happening?
It's irreversible.
The pieces are fitting together.
We'll discover the truth.
Mr. Yuki entrusted it to you.
I am afraid of the judicial world.
We are convinced
that Kazuma Akiba is innocent.
Prosecution, please submit
any evidence you have.
That will prove my father's innocence.
The prosecution seized
Mr. Akiba's MiniDV camera and tapes.
The recording date and time
should be embedded in that data.
The evidence submission?
We're working on it.
They have reported the MiniDV tape
we requested as "not found."
Huh?
Why do you and the prosecution
respond with "not found."
Answer me.
If you don't know what you don't know,
you'll never know what you need to know.
I want to know the truth.
I've joined the retrial proceeding,
and I will uncover what happened
25 years ago no matter what.
Do what you will.
I see you're still falling over.
Be sure to watch
where you're going.
Look who it is.
This used to be a hidden gem.
It was a hidden gem for me too.
Don't tell me, is that
ketchup instead of strawberry jam?
I've heard
that you eat nothing
but ketchup spaghetti at Paloma.
And also, that you buy large amounts
of ketchup at the supermarket.
I know I'm a picky eater.
I want to give up ketchup,
but I just can't.
You might like this.
It's onion soup.
My wife's a picky eater too.
She's currently pregnant,
but needs sustenance.
That's something she can stomach.
Today's conference is going to be tough.
I can see your accusatory looks.
This concerns the MiniDV tape
-you asked me to submit as evidence.
-That's right.
The fact is, it can't be located.
We even brought backup from HQ
to conduct a search, but
it wasn't there.
Quit snickering.
It's enough to make anyone laugh.
You expect me to believe that?
If HQ was involved, isn't it possible
someone deliberately hid it from you?
Mr. Yuki wouldn't do that.
Never.
He would never do that.
I will continue to investigate thoroughly.
Without the submission of key evidence,
there are no grounds
to grant a retrial at this time.
I think that's reasonable.
I agree.
We have no objections either.
Even if the district court granted it,
prosecution will appeal it in High Court,
and the retrial would probably be denied.
So we're stuck waiting
until the missing evidence
turns up?
In the past, proceedings have stalled
over matters like this, costing us years.
And in the end, the evidence never
surfaces, and the petition is denied.
Over the course of many years,
it ruins the lives of everyone involved.
How is this acceptable?
No
It's unacceptable.
A review of a petition for retrial
is different from an ordinary trial,
where the prosecution and the defendant
lead the proceedings, isn't it?
It's the court that leads
the effort to find new evidence.
They took the bait too easily.
Not "they." Mr. Kadokura took the bait.
That said, Japan's retrial system
does have undeniable flaws.
If there's something the court can do,
it should.
I, too
want the truth to come to light.
To reiterate, one of the primary factors
behind Kazuma Akiba's arrest
was motive.
Also
eyewitness testimony.
The reliability of
this eyewitness testimony is in question.
A witness claims to have seen
Kazuma Akiba here.
It was shortly after 8:00 p.m.,
and it was a dimly lit
residential neighborhood.
Given the conditions, it's doubtful
that the witness could have seen his face.
Let's conduct our own
on-site verification.
There is one more thing that concerns me.
We've gotten over one hundred tips after
the petitioner made a public appeal.
As is often the case,
most of the information is false.
Yes, but this interests me.
"I hope the truth about the Maebashi
family murder case comes to light."
It was sent with a paragraph from a copy
of theTown News from Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.
It conveys condolences for Tomoyo Hatori,
an engineer involved in crime prevention
who passed away after falling at home.
This is all that was sent?
That's all.
It clearly has nothing to do
with the murders.
That's why it's interesting.
All the other tips were directly related.
But this one has no connection whatsoever.
Which leads me to suspect
there's an unseen connection.
That's very Ando-like logic.
I'll look into this matter.
I'll help.
-I'll reexamine documents and evidence.
-Okay.
The rest of us will verify
the witness testimony.
Yes, sir.
I'm an alien.
Laws are social agreements.
If those agreements are broken
and mistakes are made,
we must admit our mistakes.
This is also an important agreement
that must be kept.
THEMIS' UNCERTAIN COUR
EPISODE 7
COURT-LED INQUISITORIAL PRINCIPLE
We spoke at Johoku Police Station.
You were calling for a reinvestigation
into Tomoyo's accident, right?
Correct.
But, they didn't accept it.
Please allow us to look into this matter.
What?
But why would a judge and a lawyer?
There are matters we can
and cannot discuss.
However,
I am interested in your daughter's
accidental death.
If there's a possibility of criminality,
legal measures,
and a lawyer, would be necessary, right?
I understand why I'd need a lawyer, but
Oh, no need to worry about him.
He's a special judge.
There's a jump in the conversation.
That doesn't explain anything.
It's fine.
Please face forward.
Well,
I felt I should say something.
I'm glad someone unexpectedly
showed an interest in my daughter's death.
Please look into it.
The apartment my daughter rented in Tokyo
has been untouched.
I visited every week
and looked into her life on my own.
My wife passed away from cancer
when Tomoyo was in college.
I'm all alone.
But, I'm not fixated on the truth
of my daughter's death out of loneliness.
Something about her death doesn't add up.
I believe
my daughter was murdered.
This is where the victim's house
stood at the time.
The location and number of streetlights
match the conditions at the time.
And from that vantage point
is where the eyewitness says they saw
Kazuma Akiba in front of the Bando house.
Mr. Ogihara and Attorney Yamakawa
are dressed as described in the testimony.
They'll walk through here
one after the other.
Please tell me which one is Mr. Ogihara.
Okay.
Ready?
Go ahead.
Next, please.
Which one was Mr. Ogihara?
The second person just now?
The first person.
You're wrong.
Both of you.
Neither of them was Mr. Ogihara.
What?
On Ms. Hozumi's orders,
I just dressed like this
and waited in hiding.
I had Yamakawa walk twice.
At that time, Kazuma Akiba
often wore a hat and green outerwear.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew
that he had
repeatedly shown up
at the Bando residence.
They only said they saw Kazuma Akiba
because of preconceived notions.
Mr. Furukawa!
Did you speak
with the original eyewitness?
No.
They said they didn't want
to bring up the past.
Well, if you knew your testimony led
to arrest, and it may have been wrong
Of course they'd hesitate.
However, I was able to speak
with the witness's family.
The testimony went from,
"It looked like Kazuma Akiba."
and somehow turned into,
"I saw Kazuma Akiba."
That's what they told us.
This case lacked solid physical evidence.
The weapon was a knife
from the victim's house.
Any fingerprints
appear to have been wiped away.
Kazuma Akiba was targeted
because of motive,
and vague eyewitness testimony
was elevated into key evidence.
And Deputy Prosecutor General Yuki.
-He forced a confession--
-He would never.
It's gotten cold out.
Let's go get a warm drink
or something, alright?
It's pretty cold out, isn't it?
Let's take a break.
Pick one.
-Ah I'll take the coffee, then.
-Sure.
Thank you.
Say
Why is it that you believe in Mr. Yuki
so much?
I owe a great deal
to Mr. Yuki.
When I was in middle school,
my father, who was a bus driver,
passed away in an accident while at work.
On top of that,
some passengers were killed or injured.
My father was chronically ill,
but he hid his illness
and went about his work.
His company said it was my father's fault.
The victims' families blamed him too.
But Mr. Yuki
revealed that the accident
was caused by poor maintenance.
He cleared my father's name.
I see.
So then, you looked up to Mr. Yuki
and became a prosecutor yourself.
When I became a prosecutor,
Mr. Yuki was happier for me
than anybody else.
Hidetoshi Yuki is a man of justice.
But that might be
just one side of him.
I admit that the eyewitness testimony
may lack credibility.
However, unless new testimony emerges,
it's still just speculation, isn't it?
No, not at all.
My grades were good.
That's nice.
I can help you next time if you want.
Nah, it's fine.
Excuse me, I have a question.
Did there used to be
a cram school around here?
-Come in.
-Thank you.
Tomoyo was quite young,
but must have had a substantial income.
She was just beginning
to establish herself.
But there are some who earn
tens of millions of yen.
My daughter was building a cyber defense
system for a major security firm.
When a breach occurs, she would diagnose
the system and plan countermeasures.
She was also involved
in cybercrime prevention, correct?
She mostly focused on fraud schemes.
She also helped out
with workshops for residents.
-Come in.
-Thank you.
Tomoyo fell
and hit her head here, correct?
That's right.
Aside from removing the bloodstains,
everything has been left as it was.
She was suffering
from severe overwork.
And just before the fall, she had taken
four sleeping pills instead of two.
She was knocked unconscious
after hitting her head.
With no one to help her,
she died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Mr. Ando?
Excuse me May I take some pictures?
Yes, go ahead.
Mr. Hatori, you mentioned there were
suspicious aspects to Tomoyo's death?
When I checked her phone records,
she dialed 110, the police,
right around the time she fell.
When I asked the police to look into it,
they said she disconnected immediately.
They said she may have mistakenly dialed
110 instead of 119, the emergency number.
They said mixing up the numbers
happens all the time.
But that doesn't
make any sense to me.
Was this Tomoyo's hobby?
She used to call it "her thing."
Her thing
She's not a trainspotter,
she's an ambulance spotter.
Ambulance spotter?
Yes.
She toured fire stations nationwide,
photographed ambulances, and talked about
them with other ambulance enthusiasts.
It's something she was
very passionate about.
Looking at the lined-up photos,
it's clear none has the same design.
Interesting. I could look at them forever.
If Tomoyo had heard what you just said,
she would've been delighted.
At any rate, there's no way
my daughter would have tried to call 119,
and mistakenly dialed 110.
A stranger must have been visiting,
and she must have sensed
her life was in danger.
And that's why she tried dialing 110.
Did the intercom camera pick up
any suspicious individuals?
No.
How about the building's cameras?
Most units are privately-owned, so there's
only one camera at the entrance.
Nobody suspicious
was recorded on that either.
But there's one other thing
that bothers me.
I'm pretty sure
one of her laptops disappeared.
I remember it being a dark red color.
I looked for it everywhere,
but couldn't find it.
You mean,
there's a possibility it was stolen?
Yes.
Please, I hope you'll keep that in mind.
I'm afraid I can't agree
with Mr. Hatori on this.
No matter how much she loved ambulances,
she still hit her head when she fell.
It's likely she'd press the wrong buttons.
I agree.
No suspicious individuals
were seen either.
Her laptop may have been sent for repairs,
among other reasons.
I think
that Mr. Hatori hasn't come to terms
with his daughter's death.
Either way, I have no idea how this is
linked to the Maebashi family murder case.
Yes. No idea.
-If you don't know what you don't know--
-You'll never know what you need to know.
We'll continue a thorough investigation.
Yes.
Maebashi District Court First Branch.
Sorry for the trouble, however,
Judge Kadokura is out on business.
Yes.
Yes Well
He won't be back into the office today.
Yes.
I see.
Thank you.
Ms. Tsumura!
I'd like your advice about
the Maebashi family murder case.
Not my duty.
Just a moment of your time.
I have a reservation
at a popular BBQ place.
What is it?
Eating BBQ by yourself?
I was right about you being single.
Huh?
Wait a second, I'll go with you.
Wait, BBQ with you?
Spare me.
Objection overruled.
There are records compiled by the defense
team involved in the retrial petitions,
regarding the victim's acquaintances.
The victim, Tomoyasu Bando,
had a business card from Toshiki Tatsumi,
from a real estate company
in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
This company went bankrupt in 2006.
Tomoyasu Bando was a librarian.
Why was a librarian in Gunma in contact
with a real estate company in Tokyo?
The victim wrote the date they met
on the back of the business card.
According to the date, it was one year
before the incident.
So?
I'd like to look into this real estate
company just to be sure.
This needs to be investigated
from a different angle.
It might have something to do
with the incident.
So?
You know a lot about real estate,
don't you, Ms. Tsumura?
You only rely on me
when it's convenient for you.
I wanted to consult you on this matter
because it aligns with your expertise.
Crab.
Crab?
Snow crab, red king crab,
horsehair crab, blue king crab
Crab sashimi, grilled crab,
grilled crab innards in shell.
-Crab porridge, crab rice--
-I see. Your consultation fee.
I will check whether
this goes against judicial ethics
and consult my supervisor.
Alright, it's settled then.
The Minato Ward area underwent
major redevelopment 25 years ago.
There seem to be all sorts
of urban legends, too.
I'll look into it.
-Thank you.
-Sure.
Mr. Ando.
Mr. Ando!
Yes?
So, you finally noticed.
You really do respond to women's voices.
Thanks, Ms. Tanaka.
No problem.
You haven't ordered yet,
and you're already in your own world.
Your usual ketchup spaghetti meal, right?
Oh.
Mr. Ando?
ONION SOUP
What's this?
Huh?
Sorry for having you make this for me.
Not at all. I'm interested in whether
you can eat something other than ketchup.
Here you are. My special onion soup.
I can eat it. It's palatable.
I'm glad!
I'll start making this at home,
and stop coming to Paloma.
What?
I'm giving up ketchup.
Wait, wait, wait. Please keep coming.
I'll add this to the menu. Okay?
Thank you.
Wait. You don't have to give up
ketchup entirely, right?
Right? With this
Thought you'd be here.
Good evening.
One hot coffee, please.
Coming right up.
Mr. Ando.
I learned something.
It's about the dark red laptop
that went missing.
It's actually a tablet, to be exact.
The city provided rooms for the fraud
scheme prevention workshops.
I checked in with the staff there.
They said Ms. Hatori always had
a dark red tablet with her.
There was a workshop the day she died,
during which she used her tablet
to show materials on a screen.
She didn't send it in for repairs.
Things that were there
before the accident are missing.
What on earth could this mean?
A missing tablet
and a call to 110 just before she died
-This is getting mysterious.
-Yes.
We'll keep investigating, including any
link to the Maebashi family murders case.
I have one thing I'm concerned
about as well.
A Tokyo real estate agency
business card the victim, Mr. Bando, had.
I had Ms. Tsumura look into it.
It seems the company was involved
in Matsukawadai's redevelopment back then.
Mr. Bando owned land here
he had inherited from his parents,
and he refused offers to sell it.
But after the incident, a relative
inherited and sold it off.
Land development, huh.
Something's fishy about this.
Yes, there is.
What is, or is not, connected?
I'll continue investigating
with Ms. Tsumura's help.
Also.
About the eyewitness testimony
I've got a new lead.
At the location,
I met some kids going home
from cram school.
I wondered if there was one back then too,
and there was one old cram school.
I searched everywhere
for anyone who had
attended that cram school 25 years ago.
When the crime occurred,
just after 8:00 p.m.,
someone passed by the Bando residence.
Apparently, a man was seen wearing a cap
and green outerwear.
Was it Kazuma Akiba?
No, just someone who looked like him.
At the time, elementary schoolers
were scared of Kazuma Akiba,
since he stalked Naoya Bando.
They'd think, "Oh, it's Akiba,"
then look away as he passed by.
What's new about that?
After passing by,
the students would look back.
On the side of the man's neck
was a large birthmark, apparently.
A birthmark?
Did Kazuma Akiba have one on his neck?
He didn't.
At the time, they told their parents,
who reported it to the police.
But it was dismissed because
it was children's testimony.
It's become even more likely
that it wasn't Kazuma Akiba
However, it still cannot be considered
conclusive evidence.
The fact that Kazuma Akiba's face
couldn't be identified at the scene,
and now there's new testimony.
Overall, this counts
as sufficient evidence!
The prosecution doesn't see it that way.
Now, now.
Prosecutor Furukawa has a point.
Everyone is in agreement
that a retrial should be held.
Conclusive evidence is needed.
What is it, Ando?
Ms. Onozaki, please call
Mr. Hatori immediately.
I want to check something
in Tomoyo's apartment.
Huh?
Right away.
Ms. Onozaki is 150 cm tall,
which is the same height as Tomoyo.
Please stand on this and open the vent.
Oh Sure.
I'll support you just in case.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
Alright.
Oh!
There it is! Just as I thought.
That's it!
Wow.
Her whole apartment
was tidy and well-kept.
However, only the washbasin and this
were not neatly aligned here.
I think the force of the fall
caused it to topple.
My daughter stood on this
while trying to hide her tablet,
lost her balance, and fell
Hiding it here means Tomoyo was trying to
say something important when calling 110.
Find anything?
I'm not seeing anything unusual
Hm?
What's this?
Hm?
"Crime Prevention Consultant
Haruhiko Kiuchi."
There's a video.
Probably footage from the workshop
Tomoyo was helping out with.
I'm a crime prevention consultant.
My name is Haruhiko Kiuchi.
Thank you very much for coming today.
Now then, please take a look
at the first page.
"It's okay."
"Really, it's fine."
No!
People who say those things
are the most vulnerable! Got it?
A phone call from your son is a scam.
Your son is a scam.
Your son is a scam.
What would they do if their son
really did call them?
I'm glad I had a daughter.
There are cases where they claim
to be a daughter.
Don't say more than you need to.
Huh? What's this?
It looks like that Mr. Kiuchi guy
is following a woman.
Tomoyo must have recorded this.
But, why would Tomoyo
do something like that?
The woman is Yasuyo Ueki, who previously
attended a seminar on phone scams.
This video was filmed on October 18th.
Someone broke into
Ms. Ueki's house after this.
The culprit was never caught.
Others who attended the workshop
were also victims of robbery.
These also remain unresolved.
In other words
Camouflage.
Haruhiko Kiuchi posed
as a crime prevention consultant,
became friendly with the elderly, learned
about their finances, environment,
and behavioral patterns, and then broke
into their homes, repeatedly robbing them.
I believe Tomoyo was investigating
Kiuchi's suspicious behavior.
The day of the workshop and her death,
Tomoyo left partway through.
When I spoke with the staff,
I learned Tomoyo was checking
the list of workshop participants.
Two of the participants had been victims.
Ms. Hatori.
What are you up to?
Ah Nothing really.
Tomoyo was reportedly terrified the moment
she made eye contact with Mr. Kiuchi.
Thinking she'd been noticed, she ran home
and hid the tablet in the vent.
Her unstable footing caused her to fall,
hitting her head.
We have informed the police and are having
Haruhiko Kiuchi questioned voluntarily.
Apparently, his name is an alias.
So the accident happened
while trying to hide evidence.
That's what really happened.
But what does this have to do
with the Maebashi family murder?
Why was this anonymous information sent?
Hm? Mr. Ando?
What is it, Ando?
Ms. Yakumo, please zoom in.
Okay.
Please look here.
Haruhiko Kiuchi
has a large birthmark
on the side of his neck.
New testimony says a man seen
near the Bando residence at the time
had a large birthmark
on the side of his neck.
Meaning
it's possible it wasn't Kazuma Akiba.
Also
We received an anonymous tip.
This man,
Haruhiko Kiuchi
has a large birthmark
on the side of his neck.
I see this doesn't surprise you.
Could you
have known about this?
Help came from HQ,
but nobody was able
to find the key evidence.
Was this intentionally covered up?
-Answer me, Mr. Yuki!
-I'll handle this.
Don't pry unnecessarily.
Mr. Yuki.
I still
believe in you.
Please tell me the truth.
You're about to have a kid, right?
Make wise decisions.
That is all.
So that's how it is.
We still don't have all the answers.
Tomoyo noticed the criminal activity,
and desperately tried
to preserve the evidence.
That is indisputable.
She's always been scatterbrained.
But
She had a strong sense of justice.
I'm glad.
Now that I know the truth
I'm relieved.
Thank you so much.
Aki Yoshizawa said to me
My father was killed
He was killed by the law.
As for what we've been investigating,
I'm shocked all over again.
A truly innocent person was executed.
Which means,
the real culprit was left free
at the same time.
What would Mr. Hatori think if he knew?
Tomoyo might not have died in an accident.
False accusations led to further tragedy.
The truth from 25 years ago
could shake the very foundations
of the justice system.
Everyone will lose faith
in the justice system.
Yes?
Dr. Yamaji, you have a phone call.
It's from a Mr. Yuki.
Put him through.
It's Hidetoshi.
There's something I'd like
to discuss with you.
Let's talk in person.
Okay.
Then, how about tomorrow night?
Are you free?
Yes.
Alright then.
Please meet me in the lobby
of Centreve Hotel at 8:00 p.m.
Very well.
See you then.
HIDETOSHI YUKI
KAORUKO YAMAJI
Doctor?
Ando
Right through here.
Ando
It's related to what happened
25 years ago.
What's happening?
It's irreversible.
The pieces are fitting together.
We'll discover the truth.
Mr. Yuki entrusted it to you.
I am afraid of the judicial world.