A 43-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder of two junior high school students, a boy and a girl, in Kitakyushu City. The owner of the barbershop that the man had been visiting for nearly 30 years since he was a junior high school student responded to an interview and revealed that the atmosphere had changed to one that was "unapproachable." ■ "Atmosphere has changed" at the barbershop he has been visiting for 30 years (Owner of the barbershop used by Hirahara) "(Suspect Hirahara) came here in January of last year. The atmosphere had changed then. Compared to when he was a student. It was like he was a little unsettled." A boy and girl in their third year of junior high school were stabbed at a fast food restaurant in Kitakyushu City. Suspect Hirahara Masanori (43) was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The crime is thought to have lasted just a few seconds. Nakajima Saya (15) died. A male student (15) who was with him was seriously injured. The barbershop that Hirahara had been visiting since he was a junior high school student. He was last seen there in January of last year. (Owner of the barbershop where Hirahara used to live) "It was hard to have a conversation. His eyes were glassy. He had a scary vibe. He seemed unapproachable." What happened to Hirahara? ■ He was also a quiet man in high school, and there were noise problems. (Audio recorded by a resident in the area) "Namu Amida Butsu" Police were called in twice this year, in May and October, for noise problems. In addition, the suspect's home also had an unapproachable vibe. (Resident in the area around the suspect) "It's been really green recently. At night, it's blue, and I thought maybe they were lighting things up." (Resident in the area around the suspect) "I saw green the other day, green." Hirahara grew up in Kitakyushu City. In high school, he was a member of the basketball club, and according to his classmates, he was "quiet and inconspicuous." The owner of the barbershop that Hirahara occasionally used even after graduating from high school... (Owner of the barbershop Hirahara used) "He seemed like a kind young man. He was a quiet kid. I think he would tell me things like, 'I'm working as a temp worker,' or 'I'm going to vocational training.'" ■ "We had a baby" The impression of a "close family" was further enhanced when Hirahara visited the shop in 2009, when he was 28 years old... (Owner of the barbershop Hirahara used) "He said, 'I want to shave,' so we asked him, 'What's going on?' He said, 'Wedding,' and he told us about his own wedding, saying, 'Oh, you're having a wedding?' He said, 'I had a baby.'" (Announcer Kusanagi Kazuki) "It seems that Hirahara used to live with his family in this apartment in the same city of Kitakyushu, about a 15-minute drive from his current home. According to a neighbor, there were no major problems at the time." (A resident living near the apartment where the suspect used to live) "It seems like they were a close family. The father (suspect) would play ball with the kids outside. I think the kids were in kindergarten at the time." Q. Did he work? "No, I don't think she did. She always smoked in front of the house. In the morning or evening." Q. Did his wife work? "I think she was working. She left the house at the same time I went to work." It is said that Hirahara moved away with his family about five years ago. ■ Divorce and single life: "Atmosphere has changed" At the time of his arrest, Hirahara was living alone in a two-story house. According to investigators, he is divorced from his wife and his daughter is the same age as the middle school victim. (Owner of the barbershop where Hirahara used to go) "It was last year. January 15th was the last time. I got the impression that his eyes were completely unfocused. His demeanor had changed. I shouldn't say he was absent-minded, but that's what he seemed to be." ■ "Landlord and parking lot manager" Hirahara has two cars and has not had a regular job in recent years. However, during the interview, there was no mention of him having financial difficulties. In fact, the opposite was true. (Director Akito Hanzawa) "The car that the suspect is believed to have driven to the scene on the day of the incident was seized." The police also seized another car. Q. Did he have two cars? (Resident near the suspect) "Black and white. The black car is recent. He always had the white car. He started driving the black car about two weeks ago. I don't know if he replaced the battery, but he started driving it (because it broke down)." In addition, the restaurant that delivered food for three consecutive days starting two days after the incident also had a restaurant. (A restaurant that delivered food after the incident) "On the last day, he asked for a final menu, so I brought it over. Because I felt like he might become a regular customer. The next day after I brought it over, he was arrested. He paid me back properly, too." Q. What kind of wallet did he have? "It was a normal long wallet, and it looks like there was quite a bit of bills in it." A classmate of Hirahara's in elementary, middle, and high school. (A classmate of Hirahara's in elementary, middle, and high school) "He was unemployed, wasn't he? I heard he was a landowner and ran a parking lot." Hirahara's relatives own several properties in Kitakyushu, and he is known locally as a landowner. Experts familiar with criminal psychology are focusing on Hirahara's nuisance behavior over the past year or so. (Criminal psychologist, Professor Yasuyuki Deguchi, Vice President of Tokyo Future University) "It was a way of appealing to society that I was here. I think he felt a strong sense of social isolation. I think his number one value was to cause a great deal of unrest in society and draw attention to himself." From "Udo Times" on December 22nd [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp