Who is Kenichi Takano? Japanese man sentenced to 16 years for killing streamer Airi Sato during Tokyo livestream

Kenichi Takano, a 44-year-old man from Japan, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing 22-year-old streamer Airi Sato during a livestream in Tokyo. The Tokyo District Court handed down the sentence on July 15, 2026, after finding him guilty of murder and related charges.

Takano admitted carrying out the attack. Sato was broadcasting live on the Japanese streaming platform WhoWatch when she was attacked in public. The case has drawn worldwide attention because thousands of viewers witnessed part of the incident as it happened.

Kenichi Takano admitted attacking Airi Sato while she was livestreaming in Tokyo

The attack happened on March 11, 2025, in Tokyo’s Takadanobaba area in Shinjuku Ward. Airi Sato was walking through the street while doing an IRL, or “in real life,” livestream on WhoWatch. According to prosecutors, Takano attacked her with a knife and stabbed her at least 55 times, with most of the injuries to her face, neck and chest.More than 6,000 people were watching the livestream when the attack began. Viewers heard Sato scream before the camera suddenly went dark. Emergency sirens could later be heard on the stream. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.During the trial, prosecutors said the attack lasted around a minute and continued even as Sato pleaded with Takano to stop.

They also told the court that after the attack, Takano used his phone to film her face and made comments about whether she had died. The judges said those actions showed a disregard for the victim’s dignity. Takano admitted the charges during the court proceedings.

Money dispute became a key issue, but the court ruled it did not justify the killing

Court proceedings showed that Takano had followed Sato’s livestreams since around 2022. He had also visited the restaurant where she worked. Takano claimed he had lent Sato a total of 2.55 million yen, using both his savings and borrowed money.

He said she failed to repay him, leaving him with serious financial problems.His lawyers argued that the money dispute should be considered when deciding the sentence and asked the court to hand him a nine-year prison term. Prosecutors, however, argued that the attack was extremely violent and requested a 20-year sentence.After reviewing the evidence, the Tokyo District Court ruled that the injuries, especially the repeated wounds to Sato’s neck, showed Takano intended to kill her. While the court acknowledged there had been a financial dispute between the two, it said that did not excuse the crime. The judges found him guilty of murder and related offenses and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.The case has remained in the spotlight because it happened during a public livestream, with thousands of viewers unknowingly witnessing part of the attack in real time. It has also raised fresh concerns in Japan and among online creators about personal safety, meeting followers in public, and the risks that can come when online interactions turn into real-life conflicts.