Bio

Issei Sagawa was born on June 11, 1949, in Kobe, Japan. He came from a wealthy family. His father was the president of a big company, Kurita Water Industries. Sagawa was a small man, just under five feet tall, with short arms and legs. He also had health problems as a child, which made him feel different from others.

Growing up, Sagawa was shy and very aware of his appearance. He felt that he was not attractive and believed that women preferred taller men. These feelings made him believe that he had to prove something to himself and to others. He struggled with loneliness and often fantasized about women, particularly those he considered beautiful.

Sagawa attended several schools, showing early talent in academics. Later, he moved to Paris to study French literature at the University of Paris. He was eager to learn and wanted to explore this new culture. While in Paris, he enrolled at the Sorbonne Academy. During this time, he met many people, including fellow students. One of them was a Dutch woman named Renée Hartevelt, who caught his attention.

Sagawa became obsessed with Renée. He admired her beauty and intelligence. He often thought about her and even sought excuses to spend time with her. He invited her to dinner, leading her to believe it was an innocent gathering for literary conversation. His feelings of inadequacy and desire grew stronger as he became more involved in his thoughts.

Although studying in a new country offered him a chance to start fresh, his inner struggles continued. He felt frustrated that he was unable to connect with women the way he wanted to. His fantasies became more intense, leading him down a troubling path. Sagawa's background and experiences shaped his character and thoughts, influencing the events that would follow later in his life.

Murder Story

On June 11, 1981, Issei Sagawa invited Renée Hartevelt, a Dutch student, to his apartment in Paris. He had planned the evening under the guise of a literary discussion. When she arrived, he shot her in the neck with a rifle while she sat with her back to him at a desk. After the shooting, Sagawa felt faint but soon focused on his obsession to consume her body.

He began by cutting off pieces of her flesh, starting with her hips and legs. He also engaged in sexual acts with the corpse. Over the next two days, Sagawa consumed various parts of her body. He described the taste of human flesh, comparing it to tuna. He found it soft and odorless. After eating parts of her, he became concerned about disposing of the remains.

Sagawa attempted to hide the body in bags and planned to throw it into a lake. However, while transporting the suitcases, he was seen by a passerby, which led to his arrest. French police found body parts in his refrigerator, and he confessed to the murder and cannibalism.

Sagawa was held for two years without trial. The French justice system found him legally insane and unfit to stand trial. He was committed to a mental institution. After some time, he was extradited to Japan, where he was deemed sane but still considered "evil." Despite this, he could not be held under law due to legal issues surrounding his extradition.

In 1986, Sagawa checked himself out of the mental institution and was free to live in society. He became a minor celebrity in Japan, involved in various media projects and art. Despite the gruesome nature of his past, he received public attention and even participated in interviews and documentaries.