A 49-year-old woman was arrested in Koga, Japan, on suspicion of assault after allegedly sewing the lips of her housemate shut with a needle and thread. Masae Sakurai was taken into custody following the incident, which occurred on June 30.

The victim, a 42-year-old woman, managed to escape from the residence wearing a white mask and sought help at a nearby shop. She displayed a handwritten note reading "Please help me," prompting an employee to call the police around 1:30 p.m. local time. The authorities arrived and found that the victim’s lips had been pierced multiple times from beneath the nose to below the lower lip, with thread sewn through the inside of her mouth, making the stitching difficult to detect from outside. Although the extent of her injuries has not been disclosed, officials confirmed her life was not in danger.

The two women had been living together in the eastern Ibaraki Prefecture since April 2025, according to local reports. The victim told investigators that Sakurai became angry during a dispute and forcibly sewed her lips shut. She said fear of Sakurai initially prevented her from fleeing but managed to escape when the suspect was away from the house. Police are still investigating the details surrounding their relationship and circumstances that led to the assault.

Authorities have not indicated whether Sakurai has admitted to the claim. Investigators are also looking into reports suggesting another individual may have been residing at the same address.

According to acquaintances interviewed by Japanese media, Sakurai had been providing shelter to young people who had run away from home and assisting them in finding employment. One man, aged 54, stated he had visited the shared residence in November and observed two or three women along with a male adolescent. A former colleague of Sakurai’s noted that she had been caring for girls who had no other place to stay after contacting their parents.

The case remains under investigation as police work to establish the full context of the incident and the conditions within the household.