Brainwashing, blackmail, an underage lover: Osaka fortuneteller linked to suicides
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OSAKA (TR) – Earlier this year, law enforcement arrested female fortuneteller Yoshie Hamada, 63, who calls herself “the Creator,” for allegedly instigating two of her male followers to commit suicide by drowning in Wakayama Prefecture five years ago.
The trial for Hamada has yet to begin. However, two female accomplices of hers, Sawako Terasaki, 47, and Naori Takitani 59, are currently facing allegations of aiding and abetting suicide and forgery.
During the court proceedings that began earlier this month, details of the circumstances leading up to the crime and their actions were revealed.
What has emerged thus far is a chronicle of selfish actions by Hamada that included brainwashing, extortion and her taking an underage lover — all of which culminated in the deaths of two men, reports Yomiuri TV (Aug. 11).
At the Osaka District Court on August 1, Takitani appeared in a suit in the courtroom. Wearing glasses and with her hair tied up, she remained expressionless as the prosecutor read out the indictment. She generally admitted to her guilt and responded as follows:
“It was Hamada who put the [microphone] cords in the car and ordered us to ‘sink each other,’” said Takitani. “I followed Hamada’s lead, just like the two who died, and, as a result, I’m the only one who survived.”
Takitani stands accused of assisting the two men (Kohei Teramoto and Ichiro Yoneda) in their suicides. Her lawyer argued, “The defendant will not contest the charge of aiding and abetting suicide, but she acknowledges that she aided and abetted the suicide through Hamada’s mind control.”
Meanwhile, Terasaki admitted to forging a suicide note for one of the men and submitted it to the police the following August.
On August 1, 2020, the bodies of Teramoto and Yoneda were found washed up on a beach in the town of Hirokawa, Wakayama.
Hamada, a resident of Kawachinagano City, Osaka, presided over what was essentially a cult. Seemingly capable of the aforementioned mind control, she claimed to be “the Creator.”
Teramoto, a 66-year-old former president of a company, and part-time worker Yoneda, a 51-year-old resident of Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, become followers around 2008 after seeking advice from her through her web site. They then began making donations.
Upon the discovery of their bodies, the two men’s wrists were tied together with a microphone cord. The cause of death was determined to be drowning. At the time, the Wakayama Prefectural Police treated the case as a simple suicide and determined there was foul play involved.
The case surfaced in 2024. In May, a third man, who sought fortunetelling services from Hamada, consulted with Osaka Prefectural Police, saying that she had extorted him out of tens of millions of yen.
The third man went to police after Hamada referred to Teramoto and Yoneda when she spoke to him: “Ichiro and Kohei are no more. They’re dead. So you should prepare yourself too.”
On January 28, Osaka police arrested Hamada and Takitani, who lives in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of blackmailing the third man. They were indicted on March 11.
According to the prosecution’s opening statement read out on August 1, Hamada provided spiritual counseling for over 20 years. In addition to using “the Creator” moniker, she was also known as “Angel Gabriel.” She preached to her followers that God had descended to earth and possessed their bodies.
She would speak to followers seeking salvation for long periods of time without giving them any breaks or sleep. Under the guise of sermons, she would make them believe she was a supernatural being, saying things like, “I created you too. I can turn your soul into a cripple in an instant.”
Hamada was known to her followers by the title “Father.” She referred to some of her followers, including Terasaki, as “members of the Kingdom of God.”
At the time of the crimes, she had received large amounts of “funding” from her followers. Terasaki appears to have been managing these funds.
Prior to his death, Teramoto provided Hamada with a total of 70 million yen, including the proceeds from the sale of real estate he owned and debt accumulation. Like Yoneda, he had severed ties with his family before his demise.
Starting in 2008, Hamada began letting a male follower live in her Kawachinagano home as her lover. At that time, he was underage. However, he fled the home five years ago.
Hamada then told the two male followers and Takitani, “In order to return [her lover] to normal, we must die, become souls and destroy the system created by God, the Elohim.” From this point on, the four began discussing a suicide plot.
On July 31, 2020, Hamada, saddened by her lover’s departure from home, finally decided to carry out the group suicide.
“Today is the day we’re going to destroy the Elohim system,” she said. “Please prepare the microphone cords. Let’s all get in the car and go into the ocean.”
Content retrieved from: https://www.tokyoreporter.com/japan-news/national/brainwashing-blackmail-an-underage-lover-osaka-fortuneteller-linked-to-suicides/.
