A 38-year-old Taiwanese woman was found dead in a hotel near Mount Fuji in Japan, with a fellow Taiwanese tourist arrested after being discovered in the same room with a bloodstained knife.
The victim, identified as Ching Yun-jung, was found at the hotel near Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi Prefecture on October 19.
Police arrested 27-year-old Yang Ming-han, who was reportedly found in the room with a kitchen knife bearing bloodstains. Both women were staying at the hotel and belonged to the same tour group.
According to reports by Japan Today and The Standard, a hotel employee discovered Ching bleeding on a bed at around 8am after she failed to appear at the meeting point for her tour group.
Police and paramedics subsequently confirmed her death at the scene.
An autopsy found that Ching died from severe blood loss caused by a deep stab wound to the left side of her neck, which reached the carotid artery.
Yang was found with a bloodstained kitchen knife measuring 12cm in blade length and was arrested on suspicion of violating Japan’s Swords and Firearms Control Law.
She reportedly admitted purchasing the knife during the trip but has not admitted to killing Ching. Police have yet to confirm whether she will face murder charges.
The relationship between the two women remains unclear, and investigations are ongoing.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on October 20 that it had contacted the victim’s family and would provide assistance as needed, but declined to comment further because the investigation was still underway.
Taiwanese media also reported that Ching was the daughter of Ching Yen-yuan, head of Taiwan’s National Airborne Service Corps.
He had been scheduled to attend a Legislative Yuan session on October 22 but took leave to travel to Japan to handle his daughter’s affairs.
