Mephisto Award
1 appearances
Ritsuto Igarashi
いがらし りつと
Igarashi Ritsuto
Aliases:
五十嵐 優貴
Pen Names:
Ritsuto Igarashi（Pen name used for novels. Legal supervision and legal practice are credited under his real name.）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1990 （Morioka, Iwate, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Morioka, Iwate, Japan → Sendai, Miyagi, Japan → Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Lawyer
- Active Years
- 2020-
- Affiliations
- The Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association, Verybest Law Office
- Influenced By
- Hiroshi Mori
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iwate Prefectural Morioka Kita High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Tohoku University | Faculty of Law | Law | — | — | Japan |
| Tohoku University Law School | — | Professional Legal Training / Law School | — | — | Japan |
Iwate Prefectural Morioka Kita High School
Country:
Japan
Tohoku University
Faculty of Law
/ Law
Country:
Japan
Discovered the appeal of law during his studies and restarted writing fiction.
Tohoku University Law School
Professional Legal Training / Law School
Country:
Japan
Completed law school and passed the bar exam. Worked as court staff before becoming a lawyer.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Mephisto Prize | Courtroom Game | — | Kodansha / Mephisto editorial department | Winner |
Mephisto Prize
2020
Work:
Courtroom Game
Organization:
Kodansha / Mephisto editorial department
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 43 (2022) nominee
Works
Major Works
Courtroom Game
2020 Mystery, Legal mysteryA legal mystery set in a law school that follows students' mock trials. Campus incidents and interpersonal tensions reveal questions of law and ethics.
LawCourtroomMock trialsJustice and human nature
Adaptations
- [Film] Courtroom Game / 深川栄洋 (2023)
- [Manga] Courtroom Game (manga) / 束ユムコ (2022)
Irreversible Boy
2021 Coming-of-age, Legal themeA coming-of-age novel dealing with juvenile law. An ensemble story where youths' conflicts intersect with legal systems.
Juvenile lawYouthComing-of-ageResponsibility
A Story Free in Cause
2021 Detective / MysteryA collection blending elements from previous works. Legal elements and mysteries intertwine in complex ways.
Law and truthEthicsPuzzle-solving
Illusory Prognosis
2022 MysteryA mystery that portrays multiple incidents and the human relations around them. Legal perspectives serve as keys to the narrative.
DeceptionHuman relationshipsLegal perspective
The Witch's Original Sin
2023 Detective / MysteryA long-form mystery that questions social sin and individual responsibility. It explores the boundaries between law and morality.
Sin and punishmentMoralitySocial issues
Midnight Law Office
2023 Legal fictionA revised work originally published in 'Shosetsu Gendai'. It portrays the practice of law through consultations and cases brought at night.
Legal practiceConsultationLaw in modern society
Lie or True Word
2024 Linked short storiesA collection of short stories focusing on themes of truth, memory, and testimony.
TestimonyMemoryTruth
Roppou Reasoning
2022 Short story collection, legal shortsA collection of legal short stories featuring tricks and issues based on legal knowledge.
Legal puzzlesShort fictionLaw education
Codex of the Locked Room
2024 Mystery, Short story collectionA short story collection including locked-room mysteries. Combines legal perspectives with classical puzzle devices.
Locked-roomClassic puzzleLegal viewpoint
Nyan-ko Criminal Law: A Practicing Lawyer Explains (with Cats)
2023 Practical book (legal commentary)A practical book in which a practicing lawyer uses cats as a motif to explain basics of criminal law and case examples in an accessible way.
Law primerCriminal lawLegal explanation as readable content
Bibliography
- Courtroom Game
- Irreversible Boy
- A Story Free in Cause
- Illusory Prognosis
- The Witch's Original Sin
- Midnight Law Office
- Lie or True Word
- Roppou Reasoning
- Codex of the Locked Room
- Nyan-ko Criminal Law: A Practicing Lawyer Explains (with Cats)
Adaptations
- Courtroom Game (film adaptation, 2023)
- Courtroom Game (manga adaptation, 2022)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Clear, readable proseAccurate legal depiction and puzzle-solving built on factual accumulation
- Recurring Motifs
- CourtroomLegal terminologyJustice and guiltYouth conflictsMock trials
Legacy
He is recognized as a practicing lawyer-turned-author who conveys the appeal of legal systems to general readers through entertainment fiction; film and manga adaptations broadened his influence across audiences.
In Popular Culture
- The 2023 film adaptation of 'Courtroom Game' increased general public recognition.
- A manga adaptation helped the works reach younger readers.
Quotes
-
I want to convey the appeal of law through entertaining fiction.
Source: Asahi Shimbun 'Book Asahi' interview (2021) -
If I construct a plot in advance, I tend to come up with mysteries that are easy for me to solve. I avoid using the first answer I think of.
Source: Da Vinci News interview (2021)
Trivia
- His real name is Igarashi Yūki; he uses his real name for legal supervision credits.
- Debuted after winning the 62nd Mephisto Prize in 2020.
- 'Courtroom Game' has been adapted into both a manga and a film (film released in 2023).
- As a lawyer, he has handled internet-related legal troubles.