Kiyoshi Ōkubo (大久保 清) was a Japanese serial killer. Between March 31, 1971, and May 10, 1971, he raped and murdered eight women. He used a pen name, Tanigawa Ivan (谷川伊凡).

Early life

Ōkubo was born in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. He was a quarter Russian. His mother, who was half Russian and half Japanese, doted on him even after he grew up. He was bullied by other children after the Pacific War began on December 8, 1941. He raped a woman on July 12, 1955. On December 26, 1955, he attempted to rape another woman, but was unsuccessful. He was arrested, put in jail, and then released on December 15, 1959. On April 16, 1960, he attempted to rape another woman, but was again unsuccessful. The victim, however, withdrew the charge. On May 5, 1961, he married a woman and had a son and a daughter. He threatened a man on June 3, 1965, and then raped two women on December 23, 1966, and February 24, 1967. On June 7, 1967, he went to prison. He was released on March 3, 1971.

Murders

Between March 31 and May 10, 1971, he killed eight women. On May 13, a 21-year-old woman disappeared, and her brother traced her. He found Ōkubo and the police finally arrested him on May 14, 1971.

Trial and execution

The district court in Maebashi sentenced Ōkubo to death by hanging on February 22, 1973. He did not appeal and was executed on January 22, 1976. It was reported that he couldn't stand up on the day of his execution.

TV drama

On August 29, 1983, Ōkubo's crime became a TV drama, The Crime of Kiyoshi Ōkubo (大久保清の犯罪). Takeshi Kitano played Ōkubo in the drama.

"Why You Never Became a Dancer" video

On November 29, 2008 a YouTube Video titled "Whitehouse - Why You Never Became A Dancer" was uploaded. The video featured an Image of Reiko Takemura, one of Ōkubo’s Victims, edited to move in a disturbing manner while the Song "Why You Never Became a Dancer" from the band Whitehouse played in the background. The video sparked a search for the identity of the woman, and in 2023 a Reddit post traced the image to a book about Ōkubo's crimes and identified the woman in the video as Takemura.