'Killer mum spun kid in washing machine

A Japanese woman accused of killing her five-year-old daughter has told police she also used to trap the child inside a running washing machine.

Junko Egashira, 34, was arrested last month after she allegedly strangled her daughter Mone, Fukuoka police say.

The woman admitted that she had several times covered Mone's mouth with adhesive tape, tied up her hands and legs and made her sit in a water-filled washing machine, sometimes turning the machine to spin, the Asahi daily reports on Wednesday.

She would also tie the child to a shelf with her arms spread out and hang water-filled buckets from them, leaving her in the position for hours, it said.

Citing unnamed police sources, the Asahi said Egashira had divorced from her husband in 2008 and had escalated the abuse against the child after they moved to a new apartment in May.