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Tatsumi Atsukawa

あつかわ たつみ

Atsukawa Tatsumi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1994 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Mystery writer
Active Years
2017-
Nominations
20th Honkaku Mystery Award (Novel) nominee ('The Murder at Gurenkan'), 21st Honkaku Mystery Award (Novel) nominee ('The Invisible Man Hides in a Locked Room'), 22nd Honkaku Mystery Award (Novel) nominee ('The Murder at Soukaikan'), 76th Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Criticism/Research) nominee ('Tatsumi Atsukawa Reading Diary')

Education

University of Tokyo
Faculty of Law
Country: Japan

Awards

Honkaku Mystery Award (Criticism/Research)
2023
Work: Tatsumi Atsukawa Reading Diary: Thus a Mystery Writer Speaks (New Voices)
Category: 評論・研究部門
Organization: Honkaku Mystery Writers Club
Result: winner
Kappa Two (new author discovery project)
2016
Work: The Great Detective Does Not Lie
Category: 新人発掘
Organization: Kobunsha
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Great Detective Does Not Lie

2017 Mystery

Debut collection containing short and linked mystery stories emphasizing classical puzzle-oriented techniques.

classic puzzle mysterieslinked short stories

The Murder at Gurenkan

2019 Mystery

A 'mansion' series novel using locked-room and country-house motifs to craft a classical long-form mystery.

country-house mysterylocked-roomclassic honkaku

The Invisible Man Hides in a Locked Room

2020 Mystery

Collection including short and medium-length pieces focused on locked-room puzzles and logical trickery.

locked-room trickslogical puzzles

The Murder at Soukaikan

2021 Mystery

Another installment in the mansion quartet, set at a seaside house featuring logical tricks and the tension of an enclosed setting.

mansion mysteryclosed settinglogical trick

Night of the Nested Boxes

2022 Short story collection

A short-story collection featuring surprising twists and intricately plotted mysteries.

twist endingsshort fiction

The Recorded Kidnapping

2022 Mystery

A work dealing with a kidnapping case where audio recordings play a central role in the mystery.

kidnappingaudio evidence

Until the Afternoon Chime Rings

2023 Short story collection

Collection of short stories blending everyday life with extraordinary mystery elements.

everyday mysteriesshort fiction

Burning Dancer

2024 Mystery

A recent long-form work aiming for high entertainment value within the mystery genre.

contemporary mysteryentertainment

Bibliography

  • The Great Detective Does Not Lie
  • Memory of the Star Reader
  • The Murder at Gurenkan
  • The Invisible Man Hides in a Locked Room
  • The Murder at Soukaikan
  • Night of the Nested Boxes
  • The Recorded Kidnapping
  • Until the Afternoon Chime Rings
  • Burning Dancer

Style & Themes

Literary Style
rigorous plot construction in the honkaku traditionmodern reinterpretation of classic mansion/locked-room motifs
Recurring Motifs
mansion settingslocked-roomtwist endings

Legacy

Recognized as a notable young writer in the honkaku tradition, Atsukawa has been praised for modernizing mansion and locked-room tropes. He has also received awards for critical writing and remains an active author.

Trivia

  • Graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law and joined the literary circle 'Shingetsu Ochano-kai' while a student.
  • Debuted in 2017 with 'The Great Detective Does Not Lie' via Kobunsha's 'Kappa Two' project (first term).
  • Won the 23rd Honkaku Mystery Award (Criticism/Research) in 2023.