in 1933, he was apprehended on suspicion of a murder and robbery which he had allegedly committed with some accomplices. prosecutors sought the death sentence, but he escaped from aomori prison in 1936 after using a length of wire to pick the lock on his handcuffs. he was soon recaptured, and sentenced to life imprisonment. he escaped from akita prison in 1942 by fleeing through an air vent in the prison's ceiling. after he was rearrested again, three years were added to his sentence and he was incarcerated in abashiri prison. in 1944 he weakened his handcuffs and the inspection hole on his cell door by rusting them with miso soup and escaped. after world war ii, he injured a man in self defense and the man later died. he was arrested again in 1946. sapporo district court sentenced him to death but in 1947, while awaiting execution in sapporo prison, he escaped by sawing through the floorboards of his cell with a sharpened piece of sheet metal then digging his way to freedom with a bowl.