Ayukawa Tetsuya Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1990) award
Ashibe Taku
あしべ たく
Ashibe Taku
Pen Names:
Ashibe Taku（Pen name used for fiction; legal name is Kobata Toshiyuki.）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1958-05-21 （Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- mystery writer, author
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Affiliations
- Mystery Writers of Japan, Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (SF Writers Club)
- Memberships
- Mystery Writers of Japan, Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (SF Writers Club)
- Influenced By
- Nakajima Hideo, Shibusawa Tatsuhiko
- Nominations
- 2002 - Nominee for the 2nd Honkaku Mystery Award for 'Grand Guignol Castle', 2005 - Nominee for the 5th Honkaku Mystery Award for 'Murder in the Red Chamber', 2009 - Nominee for the 9th Honkaku Mystery Award for 'Saibanin Hotei (Citizen Jury Court)', 2011 - Nominee for the 11th Honkaku Mystery Award for 'Kisoukyu Murder Case', 2013 - Nominee for the 13th Honkaku Mystery Award for 'Steam Opera'
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Kyoiku University Attached High School, Tennoji Campus | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Doshisha University | Faculty of Law | — | — | — | Japan |
Osaka Kyoiku University Attached High School, Tennoji Campus
Country:
Japan
Doshisha University
Faculty of Law
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Genso Bungaku New Writer Award (Honorable Mention) | — | — | Genso Bungaku (magazine) | 佳作入選 |
| 1990 | Ayukawa Tetsuya Award | The 13 in the Murder Comedy | — | Tokyo Sogensha | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Sakenomi Bookseller Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Mystery Writers of Japan Award (long fiction / short story collection) | The Omari Family Murder Case | 長編・連作短編集 | Mystery Writers of Japan | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Honkaku Mystery Award (Novel) | The Omari Family Murder Case | — | Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan | 受賞 |
Genso Bungaku New Writer Award (Honorable Mention)
1986
Organization:
Genso Bungaku (magazine)
Result:
佳作入選
Ayukawa Tetsuya Award
1990
Work:
The 13 in the Murder Comedy
Organization:
Tokyo Sogensha
Result:
受賞
Sakenomi Bookseller Award
2018
Result:
受賞
Mystery Writers of Japan Award (long fiction / short story collection)
2022
Work:
The Omari Family Murder Case
Category:
長編・連作短編集
Organization:
Mystery Writers of Japan
Result:
受賞
Honkaku Mystery Award (Novel)
2022
Work:
The Omari Family Murder Case
Organization:
Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Sakenomi Shoten-in Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (2018) award
Mystery Writers of Japan Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 75 (2022) novel and linked short stories category
Honkaku Mystery Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2022) award
Works
Major Works
The 13 in the Murder Comedy
1990 mysteryDebut novel featuring classic locked-room and puzzle elements; the starting point of the Morie Harusaku series.
locked-roompuzzlehomage to classical detective fiction
The Omari Family Murder Case
2021 mysteryA novel/linked-story work revolving around a family's mysteries; won major mystery awards in 2022.
family secretsmultiple perspectivestradition vs. modernity
Kisoukyu Murder Case
2010 mysteryCombines fantastic elements with classic mystery plotting; a ranked and award‑nominated work.
fantasytribute to classic detectiveslocked-room
Steam Opera
2012 steampunk / mysteryA steampunk-tinged novel featuring period motifs and mechanical gadgets used in its central puzzles.
period devicesmachinespuzzle
Bibliography
- The 13 in the Murder Comedy
- Grand Guignol Castle
- Murder in the Red Chamber
- Steam Opera
- The Omari Family Murder Case
Adaptations
- Written piece for NHK's 'Detective X's Challenge!' (Morie Harusaku's Misfortune)
- Original material provided / adapted for TV drama (Saturday Wide Theater)
- Anime script contributions (Lupin III Part 6 episodes)
Translations of Works
- Murder in the Red Chamber — English edition (Kurodahan Press, translated)
- The Dashing Joker — English translation published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (2020)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Technique‑focused style emphasizing locked‑room tricks and homage to classic detective fictionOccasionally theatrical/stage-like descriptionsBlend of fantastic and uncanny elements with mystery plotting
- Recurring Motifs
- locked rooms / impossible crimestime and temporal puzzleshomage and pastiche of famous detectivestheatre and stage devices
Legacy
Ashibe Taku is a Japanese mystery writer known for fusing classic honkaku mystery techniques with fantastical elements. Creator of the Morie Harusaku series and winner of major mystery prizes including the Ayukawa Tetsuya Award.
Academic Societies
- Mystery Writers of Japan
- Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan
Archives
- National Diet Library (catalog/holdings)
In Popular Culture
- Written piece for NHK's 'Detective X's Challenge!'
- TV drama adaptations (various) and anime script contributions (Lupin III Part 6)
Trivia
- Legal name is Kobata Toshiyuki.
- His wife is reported to be pianist Furo moto Kanae (requires source verification).
- Worked as a proofreader and culture reporter at the Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka headquarters.
- Creator of the self‑described 'Japan's dullest detective', Morie Harusaku.