Have you seen this man? Police have received nearly 14,000 tips in the search for one of Japan’s most-wanted fugitives, with possible sightings of Yoichi Hatta particularly concentrated in the Kanto region. Oita Prefectural Police announced on Monday that it had received 13,978 tips concerning Hatta, who has been wanted since a fatal hit-and-run in Beppu in 2022. Nearly 4,950 of those tips came from Kanto, including 73 possible sightings reported in September alone, up from 50 in August.
The latest figures come as police continue to keep Hatta on their priority wanted list and have extended a special reward for information leading to his arrest through October 2027. Authorities believe the extension may have helped renew public interest in the case, contributing to the increase in reports in September. Police are also preparing new wanted posters ahead of November, when Japan steps up efforts to locate wanted suspects.
Hatta, now 30, is wanted on suspicion of murder and attempted murder over a June 2022 incident in Beppu. Police allege that the 175-centimeter-tall suspect drove a car into two motorcycles ridden by two university students, killing 19-year-old Ikuto Fukutani and seriously injuring the other rider, before fleeing the scene. Investigators believe the suspect was traveling at nearly 100 kilometers per hour when he crashed into the motorcycles.
The Search for Yoichi Hatta
Shortly before the crash, Hatta and Fukutani had been involved in a dispute at a nearby commercial facility. Hatta allegedly then drove into the motorcycles before fleeing the scene on foot, reportedly running barefoot for around 2 kilometers before his trail went cold at a nearby yacht harbor. Police have not located him since, despite thousands of reports from people who believe they have spotted someone resembling him across Japan.
Hatta became the first person placed on the national list of important wanted persons over a suspected violation of the Road Traffic Law. A public investigative reward of up to ¥3 million is available for information that helps police locate him, and the victim’s family is offering a private reward of up to ¥5 million, bringing the total to as much as ¥8 million. Police continue to appeal to the public for information more than four years after the incident.
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Updated On October 8, 2026
