How The Deaths Of Two Girls, Eight Years Apart, Uncovered Tokyo’s Worst Predator

How The Deaths Of Two Girls, Eight Years Apart, Uncovered Tokyo’s Worst Predator

Author: Mamamia Podcasts April 2, 2025 Duration: 50:06

Carita Ridgeway from Australia and Lucie Blackman from England arrived in Japan eight years apart, both working as hostesses, earning $150-$400 a night while entertaining wealthy businessmen.

At 21, both planned to make money for world travel but encountered Joji Obara, a sadistic criminal mastermind. While there were hundreds of victims assaulted by Obara, they were the only ones known to have lost their lives.

Clare Campbell’s book Tokyo Hostess: Inside the Shocking World of Tokyo Nightclub Hostessing explores their stories, the Japanese sex industry, and the serial rapist who sparked an international investigation.

You can find her book here

THE END BITS 

Subscribe to Mamamia

CREDITS

Guest: Clare Campbell

Host: Gemma Bath

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

GET IN TOUCH

Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. 

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 100

True Crime Conversations
Podcast Episodes
Kat Torres: The Influencer Convicted Of Human Trafficking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:55
Kat Torres had it all—famous friends, a jet-setting modelling career and a social media feed that painted the picture of a woman who had truly made it. But behind the flawless photos and inspirational captions lurked a f…
"I Had to Kill Him": The Woman Who Survived Dirty John [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:00
"Dirty John" Meehan, a serial con artist and violent criminal, was Terra Newell's stepfather. He had married her mother and spent years manipulating and abusing her until she finally left him. Enraged by her departure, h…
Meet Heston Russell: The Veteran Falsely Accused Of War Crimes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:43
Heston Russell has lived a life most of us couldn’t imagine. A former special forces commander, he’s been shot at, dropped out of helicopters, and led troops through the chaos of Afghanistan and Iraq. But it wasn’t until…
Escaping One Of Australia's Most Secretive Cults [re-release] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:36
Laura McConnell grew up in a fundamentalist sect with no name. Along with no official title, the group also claims to have no registration around the world, no formal hierarchy, and no official places of worship. Accordi…
The Podcast Host Who Solved A Murder When Police Couldn't [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:27
In 1993, a teenage girl vanished on her way to school in a quiet town in Ontario, Canada. That morning, she’d argued with her mother, Mary Ann—nothing serious, just one of those everyday fights about going to school. It…
What We Know About Stephanie Scott's Death 10 Years On [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:53
Stephanie Scott was just days away from marrying her long-time partner when she went into her empty high school on Easter Sunday to prepare lesson plans for the substitute teacher. That morning, she was tragically murder…
A Message From Gemma! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:27
Hello, True Crime Conversations listeners! If your sharp investigative minds haven't already guessed, we're excited to share that our very own host, Gemma Bath, has been expecting her second child over the past nine mont…
The Kapunda Triple Murder & An Unsuspecting Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:53
In 2010, 18-year-old Jason Downie became obsessed with Chantelle Rowe, his friend’s girlfriend, after she rejected him. On the night of November 8th, in the quiet town of Kapunda, South Australia, Jason, consumed by jeal…