Who was Chisako Kakehi?

Chisako Kakehi, also known as the "Black Widow of Japan," was a Japanese woman who allegedly murdered three of her husbands and attempted to murder another for financial gain.

How did Chisako Kakehi kill her husbands?

According to the article, Kakehi confessed to killing her husband Isao Kakehi by poisoning him with cyanide, saying she was motivated by "deep hatred" and financial discrimination.

What happened to Chisako Kakehi?

Kakehi was arrested in 2014 for the murders of her husbands Isao, Masanori Honda, and Minoru Hioki, as well as the attempted murder of Toshiaki Suehiro. She was found guilty and sentenced to death in 2017, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021. Kakehi died in a detention center in Osaka in December 2024 at the age of 78.

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, 2025

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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

Deadly Widow: How a Japanese Woman Allegedly Poisoned Her Husbands for Millions

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.