Sadakichi Shimizu was born on August 13, 1837, in Kiyoshima‑chō, Asakusa, then part of Edo under the Tenpō era of the Tokugawa shogunate—today, this area lies in Taitō, Tokyo. He earned a living as an anma practitioner, a traditional masseur, and established himself in Honjo‑ku (now known as Ryōgoku, Sumida). This profession offered him a low-profile but socially acceptable presence across Tokyo, giving him both mobility and discreet access to homes.

Sadakichi Shimizu’s crime spree began in 1882, marking a grim milestone in Japanese public safety: he became the first-known criminal in Japan to use a firearm in serial killings. Disguised and methodical, Shimizu targeted victims around Tokyo, using his pistol to deliver fatal shots during robberies. Though official records cite six murders, some sources noted a five-year run of robberies that included at least five confirmed deaths, suggesting his violence was both prolific and brazen.

For several years, the city was gripped by fear. Shimizu’s crimes were sensational and unprecedented in Meiji-era Japan—he shattered the perception that firearms were rare in domestic crime. Local newspapers fed the public’s imagination, his deeds becoming serialized reading material. 

The net finally closed on him in the early hours of December 3, 1886, when police caught him breaking into a merchant’s house in Bakurochō, Nihonbashi-ku. One officer, Ogawa, was shot during the arrest. He initially recovered and was even promoted, but tragically died on April 26, 1887 from his injury complications.

Shimizu’s arrest unleashed a swift judicial response. In September 1887, he was tried, convicted, and promptly executed by hanging.