If you think true crime can’t get any stranger, allow me to introduce you to Issei Sagawa, Japan’s “Kobe Cannibal”… a man who turned infamy into a career, cannibalism into a bizarre brand, and justice into an international game of hot potato. Born in Kobe, Japan, in 1949, Sagawa is proof that sometimes reality is not just stranger than fiction—it’s downright grotesque. His story is a mix of dark comedy, horror, and societal absurdity, complete with a cast of enablers, loopholes, and a public that just couldn’t look away.
A Frail Start, A Twisted Finish
Sagawa entered the world prematurely—literally—and spent his early years battling health issues. He was small, sickly, and by all accounts, about as intimidating as a wet noodle. But what he lacked in physical stature, he made up for in sheer creepiness. Somewhere between his wealthy upbringing and his uncle’s bizarre “let’s pretend we’re giants trying to eat you” game, little Issei developed a fascination with cannibalism. Most kids grow out of weird childhood fixations, but Sagawa? Oh, he doubled down.
Fast forward to his teenage years, and his obsession with eating people took a sharp left turn into the sexual. He fantasized about devouring women, particularly Western celebrities like Grace Kelly. You know, because why just admire someone when you can imagine sautéing them? By the time he was 23, he decided to act on these urges, breaking into a young German woman’s apartment in Tokyo with the intent to snack on her. Luckily, she overpowered him—because let’s face it, Sagawa was about 4’9” and weighed less than a bag of groceries. He was arrested for attempted sexual assault, but his wealthy father swept the whole thing under the rug faster than you can say “privilege.” No charges, no consequences, no lessons learned.
From Paris With Love (And Murder)
In 1977, Sagawa moved to Paris to study literature at the Sorbonne, because why wouldn’t a budding cannibal want to immerse himself in the city of romance, baguettes, and existential philosophy? There, he met Renée Hartevelt, a brilliant Dutch student who made the fatal mistake of befriending him. Renée was everything Sagawa wasn’t—intelligent, confident, and kind—and that made her the perfect target for his twisted fantasies.
On June 11, 1981, Sagawa invited Renée over to his apartment under the pretense of dinner and German lessons. While she read poetry, he shot her in the neck with a rifle. And that was just the beginning of the nightmare. Over the next few days, Sagawa proceeded to commit necrophilia, dismember her body, and eat various parts of her flesh. Some pieces he cooked; others he ate raw, like some deranged sashimi enthusiast. He later claimed he found the act sexually gratifying, which, frankly, is information none of us needed.
The World’s Worst Luggage
After his gruesome feast, Sagawa decided it was time to dispose of the evidence. He stuffed Renée’s remains into two suitcases, called a cab, and headed to the Bois de Boulogne park. The cab driver, noticing the bags were heavier than Sagawa himself, jokingly asked if they contained a dead body. Spoiler alert: they did. Sagawa dumped the suitcases in the park, where they were promptly discovered by two joggers. Because if there’s one thing that ruins a morning run, it’s stumbling upon dismembered human remains.
Police quickly traced the suitcases back to Sagawa, thanks to the cab driver’s help. When authorities searched his apartment, they found a scene straight out of a Hannibal Lecter movie: human flesh in the fridge, bones in the trash, and a photo ID of Renée. It didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to crack this case.
Justice? Not Quite.
Here’s where the story takes a turn from horrifying to downright absurd. Sagawa was arrested but never stood trial in France. Instead, he was declared legally insane and shipped off to a mental institution. For four years, he lounged around in relative comfort, writing a novel called In the Fog, which was essentially a thinly veiled retelling of his crime. The book became a bestseller because, apparently, nothing says “beach read” like necrophilia and cannibalism.
In 1984, French authorities decided they’d had enough of Sagawa and deported him to Japan, assuming he’d face justice there. Spoiler alert: he didn’t. Japanese psychiatrists determined he wasn’t insane, but since France refused to share court documents, Japan couldn’t prosecute him. After just 15 months in a Tokyo hospital, Sagawa walked free, proving once and for all that international bureaucracy is the true villain of this story.
From Killer to Celebrity
What do you do when you’ve literally gotten away with murder? If you’re Issei Sagawa, you capitalize on your notoriety like it’s a Black Friday sale. He became a tabloid darling in Japan, writing columns, publishing books, and even appearing on TV. Yes, the man who ate another human being was invited onto cooking shows, where he gleefully ate raw meat and made cannibalism jokes. Because apparently, we live in a society where murderers get to be food critics.
And it doesn’t stop there. In 1992, Sagawa starred in a low-budget adult film called Unfaithful Wife: Shameful Torture, where he pretended to cannibalize a woman. If you’re wondering who thought that was a good idea, join the club. His “artistic” ventures also included painting nude women and editing anthologies about cannibalism fantasies. Because nothing says “redeeming yourself” like doubling down on your worst impulses.
The Grotesque “Kobe Cannibal”
Today, Sagawa remains a nasty footnote in the history of true crime, a man who turned his heinous actions into a twisted form of fame. His story is a cautionary tale about unchecked privilege, societal fascination with depravity, and the gaping holes in the justice system. It’s also a grim reminder that sometimes, the worst monsters aren’t hiding in the shadows—they’re signing book deals and appearing on talk shows.
So, the next time you hear someone say, “Crime doesn’t pay,” feel free to bring up Issei Sagawa. Because if his life teaches us anything, it’s that sometimes it pays disturbingly well.
