Family of Nagoya woman who died after man landed on her collects over 46,000 signatures for murder petition vs jumper
Warning: This article includes mention of suicide.
The family of a 23-year-old woman has collected over 46,000 signatures in an online petition seeking a murder charge against a man who crushed the woman after he jumped off an 11th-floor balcony in Nagoya.
Per Tokyo Reporter, at around 1 a.m. on July 19, 2026, 23-year-old Tomoki Inaba was walking on a sidewalk with a friend in downtown Nagoya when a 29-year-old man, who jumped from an 11th-floor balcony, landed directly on top of her.
Investigators said the force of the impact could have been equivalent to one to three tons. Inaba died almost instantly from hemorrhagic shock.
Although the man initially fell into a coma, he eventually recovered and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of gross negligence resulting in death. He is currently undergoing psychiatric assessments to determine his criminal responsibility.
Wanting a harsher penalty for the man, Inaba's family launched an online petition last month pushing for a murder charge. As of writing, the petition has gathered 46,866 signatures.
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"Based on the suspect's statements during visitation and the situation at the scene, we demand that the suspect be indicted for murder by willful negligence rather than heavy negligent homicide," the family wrote in the petition.
The family also urged authorities to not accept the suspect's statements of, "I don't remember," and still hold him liable.
Not 'just an accident'
In an interview with TV Asahi on Oct. 11, Inaba's father Kenji recalled his daughter had scheduled to share a meal with the family the day after the incident. It would have been the first time in about nine months that the family would have gotten together.
"Personally, I think she probably passed away instantly. But I feel the paramedics may have kept her pulse going artificially until we arrived, waiting for us," Kenji said.
He also said he believed the man jumped fully aware his actions could affect others; something he gathered from the three separate visits he made with the suspect.
"I did hear him say, 'I am sorry for what happened to your precious daughter'. But honestly, anyone can say that. When I asked him if he had jumped thinking he didn't care whether there were people below or whether they lived or died, he said, 'Yes, that's right'," Kenji said.
"Since he jumped fully aware that he might involve others, I simply cannot accept this being brushed off as just an accident," he added.
In the petition, the Inaba family stated the facts of the case: The balcony the man jumped from had a clear view of the busy pedestrian area below, which was lit by streetlights. Even at 1 a.m., Kenji counted nearly 300 people passing in front of the building in less than two hours.
According to the family, the man owned multiple properties, but chose to jump from the one on the highest floor.
They also confirmed that their daughter did not "suddenly step onto the sidewalk" as she had already walked a few meters before the man fell on her.
"The fact remains that an innocent third party died, so I really do not want this treated as just an accident," Kenji said.
"If the current laws cannot change that, I hope for legal revisions that are more compassionate toward victims, my daughter, and the bereaved families," he added.
Experts aren't as optimistic, however. According to Atty. Yasuo Sawai, interviewed by TV Asahi, establishing intent won't be easy.
"If you jump from that floor, even if there happens to be someone below, you have no way of knowing if you will actually hit them, right? Therefore, judging the situation objectively, I believe it is not so simple to prove the intent required for a murder charge," said Sawai.
If you or anyone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, you may call the National Mental Health Crisis hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide, landline toll-free), 0966-351-4518 or 0917-899-USAP (8727) for Globe/TM users, or 0908-639-2672 for Smart users.
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