Mother’s Taste - 1998 Curry Poisoning in Japan

On the evening of July 25, 1998, neighbors gathered together for a summer festival in the small neighborhood of Sonobe, Japan. Cicadas chirped as everyone ate curry from a large communal pot, which had been prepared by a group of neighborhood women. The party ended in chaos when 67 people were brought to the hospital with what the police thought was food poisoning. 4 of those people ended up dead.

In this episode, we tell the story behind this tragic mass poisoning and the murder investigation that ensued, which led to a media firestorm, and a years-long trial, where it seemed like the very soul of Japanese society hung in the balance. We also step back and take a look at the history of Japanese curry itself, and learn why someone using curry as a vehicle for poison was subversive enough to unnerve a whole nation.

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Thanks to Dr. Eric Rath and filmmaker Masahiro Nimura for joining us on this episode. Check out Dr. Rath’s most recent book Oishii: The History of Sushi, wherever books are sold. Special thanks to Yumi Kaneko for her translation work in this episode.

Outlaw’s Digest is a production of KC Hysmith and Good Egg Audio, an independent worker-cooperative.