Abandoned body found in suitcase at Tokyo station

A worker at Tokyo Station got an unpleasant shock after he opened an abandoned suitcase that no one had claimed for a month. He opened it and found the decomposing body of an elderly woman inside. The yellow suitcase had been left in an open coin locker near the station’s Marunouchi South Exit in late April, when it was picked up by an employee of the company that manages the lockers.

The suitcase was originally left in a station locker, but after no-one returned to claim it, it was taken to left luggage and opened by staff.

"There was an abnormal odour when we opened the suitcase. Then we saw hair," an unnamed employee told reporters.

The victim was a woman aged between 70 and 90 and about 140cm (4ft 7ins) tall.
She had been folded into a yellow suitcase measuring about 70cm by 50cm by 25cm.

Police said there were no obvious injuries to the body, and were investigating the cause of death.

Police were also examining security camera footage to try to determine who left the case behind.

The locker company employee said the suitcase was not in the locker on the morning of April 25 — the day before it was found — narrowing the timeline for its placement.