Decapitation of an Evil Woman

毒婦お伝と首切り浅

Also known as Dokufu Oden to Kubikiri Asa, Dokufu o Den to kubikiri asa, Dokufu oden kubikiri asa, Poisonous Oden & Decapitator Asa, Samurai Executioner: Poisonous Oden & Decapitator Asaemon

An unusual blending of elements comes together in this crime story drawn from Japanese history. During the early Meiji period a number of “Dokufu” (Poison Women) committed a significant number of murders. These crimes were most often committed by wives on their husbands in order to be together with their lovers. At that time women were executed in the same manner as men, to wit: by being decapitated. This is the story of the most notorious of all, Takahashi Oden who, in 1879, was the last woman executed by decapitation in Japan.