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Today in History: Sada Abe murders lover and carries severed genitals

5/18/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On May 18 1936, Japanese geisha Sada Abe strangled her lover Kichizo Ishida, sliced off his penis and testicles, and concealed the organs in her kimono for days. Her arrest sparked a nationwide scandal; she served five years, then published an autobiography, cementing her story in Japanese cultural memory.

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Story summary

On May 18 1936, Japanese geisha Sada Abe strangled her lover Kichizo Ishida, sliced off his penis and testicles, and concealed the organs in her kimono for days. Her arrest sparked a nationwide scandal; she served five years, then published an autobiography, cementing her story in Japanese cultural memory.