Closeup: The Zama Nine Murders
Takes an in-depth look at a series of murders that shocked the nation in 2017. Warning: The incidents depicted are disturbing and may not be appropriate for all readers.
Episode 1
October 2017: A shocking discovery makes waves in Japan. Learn about the events leading up to this event in this episode.
Notes: This episode contains important vocabulary related to this case, as well as a note on the difference between two terms for dead bodies and an explanation about the name of a crime that appears frequently in the news.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers |  |
| Standard | Unread | 7275 |
Episode 2
A concerned older brother begins his own private investigation in the hopes of tracking down his sister.
Notes: This episode contains excellent vocabulary related to the online world, such as words for "username," "password," "Twitter," and more, as well as interesting grammar notes, as always.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 3218 |
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Episode 3
The diligence and alertness of a concerned older brother lead police to a gruesome discovery.
Notes: This episode contains important expressions, such as one that means "to encounter a dangerous situation," as well as a note on two verbs that use the same kanji character but mean something slightly different.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 2052 |
Pro
Episode 4
Police work to make sense of the scene.
Notes: This episode contains important vocabulary, such as "a person's identity," "a DNA analysis," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 1442 |
Pro
Episode 6
How did the suspect gain the trust of so many women in such a short period of time?
Notes: This episode contains notes on two useful expressions, one that means "to be a support to someone," and another that means "to view a situation as being such-and-such = to assess as."
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 1204 |
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Episode 7
In interviews with police, the suspect describes how the killings were carried out.
Notes: This episode contains some challenging vocabulary, such as the word for "aiding and abetting."
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 1127 |
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Episode 8
The suspect partially explains his motivations for a key action, but questions remain.
Notes: This episode contains a few vocabulary words related to the human body that may be unfamiliar, as well as a note on a verb that can be used to refer to the operation of certain kinds of machines.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 1073 |
Pro
Episode 9
An unusual aspect of the crimes causes people to wonder if the killer had other motives.
Notes: This episode contains a discussion of two words that can both mean "organ."
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 1025 |
Pro
Episode 10
The nature of the crimes understandably causes people to wonder whether there is more to the incidents.
Notes: This episode features a breakdown of a multi-sentence structure and a note on a simple way of relaying secondhand information.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 982 |
Pro
Episode 11
Questions remain as the suspect awaits trial.
Notes: This episode contains a note on an expression that means "setting aside X," as well as a discussion of the expression aku made mo.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| Standard | Unread | 979 |