Home / Crime and Justice / Deadly Widow: How a Japanese Woman Allegedly Poisoned Her Husbands for Millions
Deadly Widow: How a Japanese Woman Allegedly Poisoned Her Husbands for Millions
27 Oct
Summary
- Chisako Kakehi allegedly murdered 3 husbands and attempted to murder another
- She confessed to killing her husband Isao "out of deep hatred" and for financial gain
- Kakehi was sentenced to death in 2017 for the murders, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021
In October 2025, the case of Chisako Kakehi, the notorious "Black Widow of Japan," continues to captivate the nation. More than a decade after losing her husband of 25 years, Kakehi began a string of relationships with elderly men, all of whom met untimely ends.
In 2007, Kakehi's 78-year-old boyfriend, Toshiaki Suehiro, fell ill shortly after a lunch with Kakehi, though he survived. In 2012, her 71-year-old partner, Masanori Honda, died shortly after spending time with Kakehi. The following year, Kakehi's 75-year-old husband, Minoru Hioki, passed away after dining with her.
