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2010 Habikino shooting

A gunman shot dead three people, including his mother-in-law, at a bar in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, on 12 January 2010 before killing himself.

Illustrative

On the evening of 12 January 2010, a spree shooting occurred at a drinking establishment located just south of Eganoshō Station in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Three people were killed before the perpetrator died by suicide. Such shooting incidents are described as rare in Japan.

The perpetrator was Yasuhisa Sugiura, born in 1960, a 49-year-old longtime resident of Habikino and a government employee in Osaka, Japan's second-largest city. According to police, Sugiura was involved in a "troubled marriage" with a 48-year-old woman.

Earlier that day, Sugiura went to the Ii-chan bar to discuss a divorce with his mother-in-law, 66-year-old Yoshiko Tanaka, who would later become one of his victims. The bar was open for business at the time and had other customers inside; Sugiura's wife was possibly among them. Sugiura departed the bar afterward.

Sugiura then returned to the bar armed with a rifle and opened fire at approximately 20:00 that evening. Three people were killed: his mother-in-law, Yoshiko Tanaka; a 23-year-old bar employee named Tatsuya Fukui; and 49-year-old bar landlord Hiroto Uehara. Tanaka and Fukui died immediately, while Uehara died shortly after being shot. Witnesses described the gunfire as "three or four blunt bangs," and a pool of blood was left in front of the bar.

After the shooting, Sugiura exited the bar and shot himself in the abdomen, resulting in his death.

Key facts

Victims
Hiroto Uehara, Yoshiko Tanaka, Tatsuya Fukui
Date
2010
Location
Near Eganoshō Station, Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2010-01-12

    Yasuhisa Sugiura visits the Ii-chan bar in Habikino to discuss divorce with his mother-in-law, Yoshiko Tanaka, then leaves.

  2. 2010-01-12

    At approximately 20:00, Sugiura returns to the bar armed with a rifle and opens fire, killing Yoshiko Tanaka and Tatsuya Fukui immediately; bar landlord Hiroto Uehara is fatally wounded and dies shortly after.

  3. 2010-01-12

    Sugiura exits the bar and shoots himself in the abdomen, resulting in his death.

Best coverage

No coverage has been attached to this file yet.

People

  • Hiroto Uehara

    VICTIM

    49-year-old bar landlord; shot and died shortly after the attack.

  • Yasuhisa Sugiura

    CHARGED

    Identified by police as the perpetrator of the shooting; died by suicide at the scene and was never formally prosecuted.

  • Yoshiko Tanaka

    VICTIM

    66-year-old mother-in-law of the perpetrator; shot and killed at the bar.

  • Tatsuya Fukui

    VICTIM

    23-year-old bar employee; shot and killed at the bar.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A gunman shot dead three people, including his mother-in-law, at a bar in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, on 12 January 2010 before killing himself.
Where did the shooting happen?
Near Eganoshō Station, Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC2010 Habikino shootingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ABC NewsABC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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