Kanae Kijima was born on November 27, 1974, in Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan. She grew up in this small town and attended school there. Kijima graduated from Hokkaido Betsukai High School. After high school, she enrolled in Toyo University, focusing on economics. However, she did not complete her degree and dropped out.

Throughout her early life, Kijima was known for her skill at deception. She often lied about her life and circumstances. She claimed to live in a luxury condominium in Nishi-Ikebukuro, which cost 200,000 yen each month. Kijima also stated that she drove a rented Mercedes-Benz. Using the name "Sakura Yoshikawa," she falsely claimed her father was a teacher at the University of Tokyo. Kijima said she worked as a piano instructor and a food coordinator.

In addition to her fabrications, Kijima pursued writing. She wrote memoirs and novels that were published in a magazine called Josei Jishin. One of her novels was titled "Praise" and was published by Kadokawa Future Publishing in February 2015. Starting in January 2014, supporters created a blog to share her writings.

Kijima's early life shows a pattern of making up stories and presenting herself in a way that was not true.

On August 6, 2009, the body of 41-year-old Yoshiyuki Oide was found in a rental car in a parking lot in Fujimi, Saitama. The cause of death was believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigators noticed inconsistencies in the suicide narrative and began looking into Kijima, who was in a relationship with Oide.

Kanae Kijima was soon linked to several suspicious deaths of her former lovers. The police uncovered that she had defrauded these men, acquiring money from them before their deaths. Investigators focused on Takao Terada, who was 53 and found dead at his home on January 30, 2009. His death was initially considered a suicide. However, Kijima was later indicted for his murder.

The investigation revealed the deaths of other victims as well. Sadao Fukayama’s naked body was discovered in August 2007, but the cause of death remained unknown. He had provided Kijima with a significant amount of money. Kenzo Ando, who died in a house fire on May 15, 2009, also had ties to Kijima. His death was linked to carbon monoxide poisoning, and Kijima had withdrawn a large sum of money from his account shortly after.

As the investigation continued, Kijima faced multiple fraud charges. By January 2010, she was rearrested for fraud but continued to be linked to suspicious deaths. The pattern was alarming, as investigators noted that all victims had last been seen with her. In 2012, during her trial, evidence presented showed that similar items were found at the various crime scenes, linking her to the murders.

Kijima was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death for the three murders. She faced appeals, but both the Tokyo High Court and the Supreme Court upheld her conviction. In April 2017, the Supreme Court confirmed her death sentence, marking her as the first woman in the post-war period to receive such a sentence through a lay judge trial.

Currently, Kanae Kijima is on death row at the Tokyo Detention House.