Abe Sada: A Japanese Crime of Passion

Overview

On May 18, 1936, Abe Sada, a former geisha, kills her lover by "erotic asphyxiation", then slices his sex and inscribes his name in his flesh. In an ultra-controlled and militarized Japan, the press is passionate about this transgressive incident, while the murderer defends herself, presenting her crime as an act of "crazy love". Relayed to the West, this murder conveys the image of a fantasized Japan, where all impulses are given free rein.