Famed Japanese musician found dead

World renowned Japanese harpist Tadao Hayashi was found dead yesterday in his house in Caloocan City, a probable victim of homicide, police said.

Hayashi, 62, sustained several head injuries. His body was discovered by his personal assistant Antonio Clet inside his bedroom at around 6 a.m., police chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele said.

Mantele said the wallet and VCD player of Hayashi, who made the Philippines his adoptive country since he first played here in 1979, were also reported missing.

Hayashi was known for his series of "finger trip" albums where he performed popular tunes solo on a harp.

Sketchy reports indicated that an unidentified man arrived at Hayashi’s house located at Block 5, Lot 2, LD Village, Tala at around 6 p.m. Sunday. Witnesses told police Hayashi let the man in.

"According to the team of investigators who went to Mr. Hayashi’s house, they saw no sign of forcible entry. It looked like Mr. Hayashi knew his visitor and even entertained him," Mantele told The STAR.

He said that police discovered two used drinking glasses on a table in the living room.

Hayashi’s bedroom, however, was in complete disarray. "A struggle apparently took place inside," Mantele said.

Hayashi’s remains were brought to the Sevilla Funeral Homes along LD Road in Tala.

As of press time, police are still searching for the weapon used to kill Hayashi.

Mantele added that a team of investigators led by Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, Station Intelligence and Investigation chief, and elements of the Scene of the Crime Office were at the crime scene to determine the identity of Hayashi’s assailant and search for evidence of a motive.

Borromeo said ocular investigation showed Hayashi was hit with a hard, blunt object on the head, and that his skull was apparently fractured. He added Clet is now under police investigation.

PO3 Carmelito Silvino, officer-on-case, said the killing could have happened between 6 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. yesterday.

Neighbor Reynaldo Orpillano told probers that a man about 25 years old, fair complexioned and medium built, who had regularly visited Hayashi reportedly for massage sessions, was last seen with the victim on Sunday evening.

Another neighbor, plumber Rolando Abu, also told police that he saw the victim at around 7 p.m. still playing his harp, and that the other man left the house a few hours later.

Neighbors said they noticed that the lights in Hayashi’s house were turned off Sunday night, when the musician usually left them on.

Quoting autopsy reports, Chief Superintendent Jose Marlowe Pedregosa said the cause of death "was due to inter-cranial hemorrhage as a result of multiple traumatic injuries at the back of his head."

Hayashi’s left hand bore superficial stab wounds, apparently caused by a short knife, an indication that he tried to put up a fight.

Japanese vice consul Shinichi Nara was present yesterday during autopsy at Camp Crame’s crime laboratory headed by Pedregosa. –With Jerry Botial, Jaime Laude