Takahiro Shiraishi, 30, was convicted of murder, rape, dismemberment and storage of the bodies of the nine victims at his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa prefecture, on the outskirts of Tokyo, according to the court.
Three colder boxes and five containers were found in Shiraishi’s room, containing human heads and bones with the scraped meat, according to TV Asahi, which cites police sources.
The nine victims, eight women and a man, were between the ages of 15 and 26, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK and CNN TV subsidiary Asahi, which cited the two court proceedings.
The victims had posted online that they wanted to commit suicide, and she was later contacted by Shiraishi via social media platforms, NHK and TV Asahi reported.
With a handle that freely translates as “hung,” Shiraishi invited them to his apartment in Zama, promising to help them die, the Jiji news agency reported, citing the indictment.
Shiraishi pleaded guilty to murdering the victims and told the court he had killed them to satisfy his sexual desire, NHK and TV Asahi reported.
NHK added that Shiraishi has no intention of appealing against the verdict and will be on the death row until Japan’s justice minister signs the execution order.
In Japan, the death penalty is executed by hanging, and the dates of execution are not made public until after it has been served.
Additional Reuters reports.