Nevada-tan: A murder case that became a meme

Probably, few have heard of the Nevada-tan meme. The meme is more common in Japan itself and in the United States. However, this meme has a macabre history.

Below is the story of the “Nevada-tan” meme:

The story behind the meme

Nevada-tan is a meme that emerged in 2004 that became popular on the Japanese imageboard 2chan. The meme is a character named Nevada-tan who was based on Natsumi Tsuji.

Natsumi, an 11-year-old girl (at the time) who had murdered her classmate, Satomi Mitarai. The homicide occurred on June 1, 2004, at the school where Natsumi studied. Natsumi killed Satomi with a utility knife when she was alone with her.

After murdering Satomi, Natsumi returned to her classroom with her clothes stained with blood. The school where the tragedy occurred was an elementary school in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture.

Reaction to the murder and revelation of identity

The event received rapid coverage from the global press. The first part of the international coverage appeared on June 3, 2004, when an article from BBC News was published about the incident.

According to Japanese legal procedures that prohibit the identification of juvenile offenders, the girl’s real name was not disclosed, and the Japanese police referred to her as “Girl A.”

Despite efforts to protect the girl’s identity, her real name was revealed a few days after the incident. Fuji TV accidentally discovered her real name while showing some of her drawings on national television.

The kanji shown in some of the photos (辻菜摘) is from the girl who signed her own drawings. When the kanji is romanized, it reads: Natsumi Tsuji. This way, the identity of the murderer was discovered.

When placed in custody, Natsumi admitted to the crime. The basis of the murder was centered around a website created by her. The content was based around a flash game called The Red Room.

There was also a fanfiction about the popular Japanese film Battle Royale. Satomi had allegedly left derogatory comments about Natsumi’s physical appearance on her website.

Natsumi was sent to the Nagasaki Family Court after unsuccessful attempts to try her as an adult and debates about age and criminal responsibility. She was then sent to be institutionalized in a juvenile hall in Tochigi Prefecture. Natsumi was released in 2013. She was 20 years old at the time of her release.

Appeal of 2chan and origin of “Nevada-tan”

There is no real evidence of whether the users of 2chan tried to reveal the girl’s identity or not. Still, she became an internet phenomenon and a cult symbol.

Users of 2chan eventually nicknamed her “Nevada-tan.” “Nevada” because of the hoodie with “Nevada” written on it that she wore during the homicide. And “-tan” being the way a child would pronounce the honorific “-chan.”

Subsequently, the media drew attention to the unusual nature of a child killing another child. Many articles also had numerous observations about Natsumi’s website and the themes surrounding blood and death.

Eventually, an impressive amount of fanarts was created, mostly depicting a cute or moe illustration resembling Natsumi. However, she is always drawn with blood on her and a utility knife in hand. These illustrations are listed on various websites dedicated to information about the meme.

Popularity of “Nevada-tan” outside Japan

The trend of creating fanart was not restricted to the Japanese web. Subsequently, after the incident, numerous websites began to talk about the girl. They paid some kind of tribute to Natsumi.

In June 2005, the online store selling the hoodie from the University of Nevada (which Natsumi is seen wearing in photos and fanarts) reported that it was the best-selling item on the site. A few weeks later, the University removed the hoodie from its catalog.