Man found dead in covered bathtub at Japan home, police investigating possible murder

Body found in Osaka home after neighbour alerts police

The naked body of a 53-year-old man was found in a bathtub at his home in Osaka, Japan, on Monday (19 Jan) morning.

Police are investigating all possibilities, including murder.

A concerned neighbour had alerted the authorities after noticing a pile of uncollected newspapers at the house in Nishiyodogawa Ward.

Upon arrival, officers found the front door unsecured and observed no signs of ransacking.

After entering the two-storey home, they found the deceased, later identified as Shuji Moriyama (name transliterated from Japanese), naked in the bathtub on the first floor.

There was also no water in the tub, which was closed with household items placed on top of it.

Victim had been dead for over a month

According to the police, the victim lived alone in the house.

An autopsy revealed that Mr Moriyama’s estimated time of death was around 30 Nov 2025 and the cause of the death was drowning.

Pressure marks were also found on the victim’s neck and other parts of the upper body.

As such, police believe that someone may have held him down and caused him to drown.

The prefectural police are currently investigating the details of the incident under the assumption of murder or abandonment of a corpse.

Also read: Body on roof of Japan train goes unnoticed for 2 days, police investigating death

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Featured image adapted from TBS NEWS DIG on YouTube and KTV News on YouTube.