
Overall
Accessibility
Fun
Reliability
The Author
William D. Johnston was surprisingly difficult to track down—turns out, his name is quite common! But after some digging, I found that he was a professor of history at Wesleyan University for 36 years. He holds a BA from Elmira College and an MA and PhD from Harvard. His research focuses on Japan, and while he has written a few books and articles, much of his work revolves around translating obscure Buddhist texts. Now retired, he is reportedly pursuing Zen Buddhism in Japan.
The Book
Published in 2004, Geisha, Harlot, Strangler, Star: A Woman, Sex, and Morality in Modern Japan is in line with Johnston’s academic interests. While it isn’t a Buddhist text, it is centered on an obscure document—Abe Sada’s police case files, which had not been widely available in the West before this book.
The book is structured in two main parts:
Johnston’s Analysis: A thorough examination of Abe Sada’s life, her relationships, and the social forces that shaped her actions. He places her crime within the broader framework of gender and morality in pre-war Japan.
The Police Report: A full, unedited translation of the original police documents, allowing readers to engage with the raw source material firsthand.
This structure makes the book an essential resource for researchers, though its readability varies.
Accessibility
Right from the start, Geisha, Harlot, Strangler, Star establishes itself as an academic work. The introduction lays out the research question and historical context well, but it also jumps straight into dense discussions of gender, sexuality, and morality. If you’re not accustomed to academic writing, you might find yourself rereading sections to fully grasp the argument.
Once Johnston moves into the narrative of Abe Sada’s life, the writing becomes more approachable. However, the first four or five chapters are especially heavy-going. If you’re new to reading academic texts, be prepared for a challenge.
Accessibility Rating: (3/5)
Fun
For a book about one of Japan’s most infamous crimes, Geisha, Harlot, Strangler, Star is not particularly gripping.
Johnston’s commitment to primary sources is impressive but can work against the readability of the book. He sticks very closely to the police report, summarizing it in extreme detail. While this ensures accuracy, it also results in long, repetitive sections that slow the pacing.
Abe Sada’s time in various brothels, for example, is described multiple times in nearly identical terms—moving, stealing, running away, and moving again. Rather than summarizing the pattern and then analyzing it, Johnston recounts each incident separately, which can be tedious.
Then, after slogging through this detailed summary, you’re presented with the full police report itself. While this is a fantastic resource for researchers, reading both sections back-to-back can feel redundant.
If you plan to read this book, I recommend choosing either Johnston’s summary or the police report—but not both in one sitting.
Fun Rating: (1/5) (higher if you skip one section).
Reliability
This is where Geisha, Harlot, Strangler, Star excels.
Johnston’s research is thorough, drawing from both Japanese and English sources. He cross-references different accounts of Abe Sada’s life and points out inconsistencies in her own testimony. The translation of the police report has since been cited in other academic works, proving its credibility.
While some scholars have noted that the book could have provided a broader cultural analysis, this does not take away from its reliability. The inclusion of the full police report further solidifies it as a key academic resource.
Reliability Rating: (5/5)
Overall
If you’re looking for an accessible, narrative-driven true crime book, Geisha, Harlot, Strangler, Star is probably not for you. The writing can be dense, the pacing slow, and the repetitive detail exhausting. However, if you’re interested in historical crime, gender studies, or primary source materials, this book is an invaluable resource.
It provides one of the most thorough examinations of Abe Sada’s case available in English and offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with the translated police report. But be warned—this is best approached as a research tool rather than a casual read.
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