A Japanese woman who was brutally stabbed to death while livestreaming to over 6,000 people has been identified as an influencer who was targeted by one of her followers.
Japanese streamer Airi Sato, 22, was confirmed dead on Tuesday after a crazed man attacked her with a knife, stabbing her in the neck, head and chest while thousands watched.
Little is known about Sato’s private life, however sources claim the influencer has been creating content since she was in high school.
Her content centered around her day to day ‘real life’. She had filmed herself in a video titled ‘3.11 Walking Around the Yamanote Line’ as she circled the well-known railway service loop.
The young streamer was allegedly killed by 42-year-old Kenichi Takano, who was arrested at the ghastly crime scene in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.
Police sources told local media that Takano tracked Sato down after he recognized the buildings in the back of her video.
He later told police that he had lent Sato a ‘substantial sum of money’ – approximately $17,000 USD – and was never repaid, TokyoHive reported.
The 42-year-old reportedly became acquainted with Sato in 2021 through her livestreams.
Over time, their relationship took on a financial dimension, with Sato frequently asking for loans under various circumstances, claiming she had forgotten her wallet, lost access to her funds, or needed urgent financial help.
Messages exchanged between the two suggest that these requests escalated, with Sato borrowing small amounts at first before requesting larger sums, according to the outlet.
Despite Takano providing financial support, repayment never materialized. He eventually took legal action, winning a court case for the outstanding debt.
Even with the ruling in his favor, no payments were made.
The unresolved financial dispute appears to have deepened Takano’s frustration, leading to the alleged violent escalation.
It was later revealed that Takano had borrowed from loan agencies to fund his financial support of the IRL influencer.
Takano said he felt manipulated, listing a series of justifications Sato had used to request money, in messages between the him and his aquaintances, as seen by TokyoHive.
The 22-year-old creator was reportedly online on Japanese live-streaming platform, WhoWatch, when the fatal attack occurred.
Approximately 6,500 viewers witnessed the gruesome murder as fans frantically called for help in the live chat.
Several viewers even claimed they heard Sato calling for help before her stream went silent, SoapCentral.com reported.
Sato’s livestream reportedly recorded the horrific aftermath of the knife-attack, showing the famous videographer lying in a pool of blood.
Police recovered a knife with a blade about five inches long at the scene, which they believe to be the murder weapon.
A video of the assault’s aftermath shows a crowd of emergency services at the scene as they tend to the victim as police sirens blare in the background.
Before Japanese police disclosed Sato’s identity, several people on social media falsely identified the victim as live broadcaster Mogami Ai.
The voice actor company that represents Mogami later was forced to issue a statement that she had nothing to do with the tragic incident.
‘In the incident that occurred in Takadanobaba today… erroneous information was spread, and our company’s ‘Mogami Ai’ was mistakenly identified. We have confirmed that this misunderstanding exists’, the company said in a statement.
‘Here, we express our condolences to the parties involved in the incident, and at the same time, we confirm the safety of our company’s ‘Mogami Ai’ and hereby declare that our company’s ‘Mogami Ai’ has nothing to do with the incident.
‘We would like to express our sincere apologies for the concerns and troubles caused to the relevant parties due to this misunderstanding.
‘In addition, we found that the social media account of ‘Mogami Ai’ has received comments and private messages related to the incident, and her photos have been reprinted without authorization.
‘Since ‘Mogami Aii’ has nothing to do with the incident, we kindly ask everyone to avoid posting excessive comments or private messages on his social media, and do not reprint his photos without permission’, the company said.
The tragic incident is not the first slaying of a female streamer in Japan.
Two years ago, a 26-year-old man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the stabbing death of an influencer who had just broken off a relationship with him.