The victims of the fire at the home of Japanese parliamentarian Inoguchi have been identified

TOKYO (Jiji Press) – Two victims of a recent fire at the home of Japanese parliamentarian Kuniko Inoguchi have been identified as her husband, Takashi, a retired University of Tokyo professor, and first daughter, police said Sunday.

The fire broke out on Wednesday at the apartment of 72-year-old Inoguchi, a member of the House of Councilors, the upper house of parliament, in Tokyo’s Bunkyo district.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the cause of the fire has not been determined, but the likelihood of a foul play is low and it is believed to have been an accident.

The identity of the 80-year-old husband and 33-year-old daughter was confirmed based on DNA analysis, and the cause of death was fire.

The fire is believed to have started in or near the reception area at the center of the house, but the exact cause remains difficult to identify due to the intensity of the flames.

Inoguchi’s family lived on the top floor of a six-story apartment building, but the floor was locked at the time of the incident. No traces of third-party involvement were found in security camera footage.

Police said that apparently Takashi or any other family member had no motive to start the fire, adding that no sources of ignition, such as a lighter, were found in the room.

Inoguchi told police that her family did not use an oil-burning stove and no one smoked in it. The police found no traces of oil in the room.

The fire, which was noticed on Wednesday around 7:10 p.m., consumed approximately 150 square meters of the sixth floor.

The fire was extinguished eight and a half hours later. There were a lot of books in their house, which probably allowed the fire to spread quickly.

Inoguchi, an international political scientist, and her other daughter were unharmed because they were away from home at the time of the fire.

Takashi, a prominent figure in political science and international relations, was a professor at Chuo University, chancellor of Niigata Prefectural University and president of the Japan Association of International Relations.

In 2023, he was honored with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon.