EPISODE · Jan 22, 2026 · 13 MIN
The Teahouse Killing: Sada Abe's Twisted Love Story
from 10 Minute Murder | Bingeable True Crime Stories · host Joe
The Teahouse Killing: Sada Abe's Twisted Love StoryIn May 1936, Tokyo geisha Sada Abe murdered her lover Kichizo Ishida through strangulation, then severed his genitals in what became Japan's most notorious crime of the Showa era. The homicide investigation revealed a twisted love affair between a former sex worker and a married restaurant owner that ended in mutilation, carving bloody inscriptions, and a three-day manhunt through Tokyo. Detectives found Abe carrying the severed body parts in her kimono, treating them like sacred relics.This case goes way beyond tabloid shock value. You've got a woman who survived sexual trauma, disease, and the brutal exploitation of Japan's pleasure districts in the 1930s. She found something that felt like real connection, then decided if she couldn't keep it alive, she'd preserve it in the most horrifying way imaginable. The aftermath is equally wild: she walked free after just a few years, became a stage celebrity playing herself in theater productions, and later ran a bar where people lined up to be served by the woman who committed one of history's most intimate murders.#TrueCrime #SadaAbe #JapaneseCrime #CrimeOfPassion #UnsolvedHistory #MurderPodcast #TrueCrimePodcast🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a weekNever miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:Instagram: @10minutemurder on IGFacebook: 10 Minute Murder on FBTikTok: 10 Minute Murder on TikTok💬 Have a Case Suggestion? Know a fascinating case that deserves coverage? I love listener suggestions and feature the best ones in upcoming episodes. Email: [email protected] Website: 10minutemurder.com ⭐ Help Grow the True Crime CommunityRate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the showShare: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiastsJoin the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media🎧 Want Even More True Crime? If you love the brief and bingeable vibe, check out my other podcast: 10 Minute Mystery - same bingeable storytelling, different cases. Search "10 Minute Mystery" wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for being part of the 10 Minute Murder community. Let's make 2025 the ultimate year for bite-sized true crime storytelling. 🖤Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.
What this episode covers
The Teahouse Killing: Sada Abe's Twisted Love StoryIn May 1936, Tokyo geisha Sada Abe murdered her lover Kichizo Ishida through strangulation, then severed his genitals in what became Japan's most notorious crime of the Showa era. The homicide investigation revealed a twisted love affair between a former sex worker and a married restaurant owner that ended in mutilation, carving bloody inscriptions, and a three-day manhunt through Tokyo. Detectives found Abe carrying the severed body parts in her kimono, treating them like sacred relics.This case goes way beyond tabloid shock value. You've got a woman who survived sexual trauma, disease, and the brutal exploitation of Japan's pleasure districts in the 1930s. She found something that felt like real connection, then decided if she couldn't keep it alive, she'd preserve it in the most horrifying way imaginable. The aftermath is equally wild: she walked free after just a few years, became a stage celebrity playing herself in theater productions, and later ran a bar where people lined up to be served by the woman who committed one of history's most intimate murders.#TrueCrime #SadaAbe #JapaneseCrime #CrimeOfPassion #UnsolvedHistory #MurderPodcast #TrueCrimePodcast🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a weekNever miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:Instagram: @10minutemurder on IGFacebook: 10 Minute Murder on FBTikTok: 10 Minute Murder on TikTok💬 Have a Case Suggestion? Know a fascinating case that deserves coverage? I love listener suggestions and feature the best ones in upcoming episodes. Email: [email protected] Website: 10minutemurder.com ⭐ Help Grow the True Crime CommunityRate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the showShare: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiastsJoin the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media🎧 Want Even More True Crime? If you love the brief and bingeable vibe, check out my other podcast: 10 Minute Mystery - same bingeable storytelling, different cases. Search "10 Minute Mystery" wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for being part of the 10 Minute Murder community. Let's make 2025 the ultimate year for bite-sized true crime storytelling. 🖤Become a supporter of this podcast: <a...
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The Teahouse Killing: Sada Abe's Twisted Love Story
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