KAPPA-ONE
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (2002) award
Atsuya Higashikawa
ひがしがわ とくや
Higashikawa Atsuya
Aliases:
東 篤哉
Pen Names:
（Name used in early short-story submissions）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1968-01-01 （Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Mystery writer
- Active Years
- 1996-
- Affiliations
- Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan
- Memberships
- Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan (served as secretary-general, later president)
- Influenced By
- Tetsuya Ayukawa, Arisu Arisugawa
- Nominations
- 2011 (11th) Honkaku Mystery Award — novel category nominee — 'Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de', 2012 (65th) Mystery Writers of Japan Award — long novel/collection category nominee — 'After School with Mystery', 2014 (67th) Mystery Writers of Japan Award — short story category nominee — 'Spring's Cross', 2015 (68th) Mystery Writers of Japan Award — short story category nominee — 'Why the Mascot Was Murdered'
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaguchi Prefectural Toyoura High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Kagoshima High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Okayama University | Faculty of Law | — | — | — | Japan |
Yamaguchi Prefectural Toyoura High School
Country:
Japan
Kagoshima High School
Country:
Japan
Okayama University
Faculty of Law
Country:
Japan
Graduated from Faculty of Law
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Honya Taisho (Booksellers Award) | The Riddle Is After Dinner | — | Honya Taisho Organizing Committee | 受賞 |
Honya Taisho (Booksellers Award)
2011
Work:
The Riddle Is After Dinner
Organization:
Honya Taisho Organizing Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Japan Booksellers' Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (2011) award
Works
Major Works
I Lend the Key to a Locked Room
2002 MysteryA work in the Ikagawa City series featuring locked-room tricks and a collection of short stories.
locked-roomtrick-based puzzleshumor
A Night Unsuitable for Exchange Murders
2005 MysteryA trick-focused novel regarded as one of the author's representative works.
exchange murdershuman relationshipshumor
The Riddle Is After Dinner
2010 Mystery (humorous)A series of humorous short stories featuring a butler-detective. It became a bestseller through word of mouth and was adapted into a TV drama and film.
butler-detectivemanners and paradoxlight comic dialogue
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de (TV series) (2011)
- [Film] Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de (film) / 土方政人 (2013)
After School with Mystery
2011 Mystery (school mystery)Part of the Koigakubo Academy series; a collection of school-based mystery stories.
schoolyouth-centered incidentspuzzle solving
Adaptations
- [Web drama] After School with Mystery (web drama) (2011)
- [Radio drama] After School with Mystery (NHK-FM radio drama) (2011)
Do Magicians Dream of Perfect Crimes?
2012 Mystery (Witch/Magician series)First in the Magician Mari series, combining quirky setups with classic mystery techniques.
magicianimpossible crimeshumor and craft
If Only There Were No Detective
2017 Short story collection (mystery)A collection of short stories showcasing the author's humor and trick-oriented mysteries.
short storiestrickstwists
Murder at Squid-sou
2022 MysteryA recent novel set in an apartment complex, with locked-room flavors to the mystery.
apartment complexcrime hidden in everyday lifelocked-room elements
Bibliography
- I Lend the Key to a Locked Room (2002)
- Shoot Toward the Locked Room! (2002)
- How Many Cats Are Needed for a Perfect Crime? (2003)
- A Night Unsuitable for Exchange Murders (2005)
- Tatejima (2005)
- Don't Dump the Corpse Here! (2009)
- I Won't Kidnap Anymore (2008)
- The Riddle Is After Dinner (2010)
- After School with Mystery (2011)
- Do Magicians Dream of Perfect Crimes? (2012)
- Detectives I Don't Like (2013)
- If Only There Were No Detective (2017)
- Murder at Squid-sou (2022)
Adaptations
- Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de — adapted as TV series (2011) and film (2013)
- After School with Mystery — adapted as web drama/radio drama/TV drama
- Multiple works adapted into manga, drama CDs and stage plays
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Fusion of deadpan humor and classical mystery techniquesLight, fast-paced conversational style
- Recurring Motifs
- locked-room tricksabsurdities hidden in everyday lifedistinctive detectives (butlers, girl detectives, etc.)regional/local settings
Legacy
Recognized as a leading figure of humorous honkaku (classic) mystery; widely known after the success of 'The Riddle Is After Dinner'. His works' adaptations into TV and film extended his influence into popular culture.
Academic Societies
- Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan
In Popular Culture
- Became widely known through TV and film adaptations of 'The Riddle Is After Dinner'.
- Several works adapted into manga and stage plays, contributing to media-mix expansion.
Quotes
-
I was living on the edge, wondering if I'd be homeless.
Source: News Post Seven (interview) (2011) -
I have never used the internet or mobile phones. I get information mainly from TV and newspapers.
Source: WEB Hon no Zasshi (interview) (2012)
Trivia
- Before becoming a full-time writer he worked long-term part-time jobs and has said he came close to being homeless.
- 'The Riddle Is After Dinner' started with a 7,000 copy first print but grew to sell several million copies through word of mouth.
- He publicly states he does not use the internet or mobile phones.
- A fan of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp; has written baseball-themed stories.