Japanese Literary Awards

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Makoto Yajima

やじま まこと

Makoto Yajima

Pen Names: Hoshino Suiri（Pseudonym used for a collaborative project with Ken Wakazaki）, Natsumi Shunsuke（Alternate pen name used for some works）, Matsushima Kyosaku（Joint pen name used with Kei Matsui for historical fiction）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1954-01-07 （Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Mystery writer, Editor
Active Years
1988-
Nominations
29th Edogawa Rampo Award nominee (Hoshikaribito), 8th Yokomizo Seishi Mystery Award nominee (Satsui Dorobou)

Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Tachikawa High School
Country: Japan
Chuo University
Faculty of Letters / Department of French Studies
Country: Japan

Awards

Edogawa Rampo Award (nominated)
Work: Hoshikaribito
Result: nominated
Yokomizo Seishi Mystery Award (nominated)
Work: Satsui Dorobou (later published as The Murder on a Hyperbola)
Result: nominated
Weekly Bunshun Mystery Best Ten (Domestic #5)
2001
Work: Shin Honjin Murder Case (co-authored with Ken Wakazaki)
Organization: Weekly Bunshun
Result: ranked #5

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Gemini: The 12-Character Murder

1989 Mystery

A classical puzzle mystery using astrological and constellation motifs; focuses on deduction and trick mechanisms.

constellationspuzzle-solvinglocked-room/trick

Reinnanzaka Murder Case

1988 Mystery

Debut novel set around a place-name; a classic-style mystery.

localitydeduction

Murder on a Hyperbola

1989 Mystery

Noted for mathematical and logical contrivances; adapted for television.

mathematical trickpuzzle-solving
Adaptations
  • [Television drama] The Constellation Legend Murder Case (adaptation of Murder on a Hyperbola)

The Sleeping Express 'Hokutosei': The 0-Character Murder

1991 Mystery

A full-length mystery set on a sleeper train; notable for its train setting and character depiction.

railwaysjourneylocked-room

Bibliography

  • Reinnanzaka Murder Case
  • The Murder of K in the Six Major Cities
  • The Kamakura XX Murder
  • Murder on a Hyperbola
  • Gemini: The 12-Character Murder
  • The Sleeping Express 'Hokutosei': The 0-Character Murder
  • Shin Honjin Murder Case (co-authored with Ken Wakazaki)

Adaptations

  • Murder on a Hyperbola (Nippon TV, Tuesday Suspense Theater)
  • The Vanished Radiance (TV Asahi, Saturday Wide Theater)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Classical puzzle-oriented mystery styleLogical, puzzle-like plot construction
Recurring Motifs
constellation/astrology motifsrailway/train settingsmathematical and cipher-like tricks

Legacy

Makoto Yajima is a Japanese mystery writer active since the late 1980s, known for traditional puzzle-solving mysteries and clever plots. Several works have been adapted for television; his background as an editor has influenced his approach.

Archives

  • Holdings at the National Diet Library (identifier available)

Trivia

  • Worked as a manga magazine editor before becoming a novelist.
  • Has published under several pen names (Hoshino Suiri, Natsumi Shunsuke, Matsushima Kyosaku).
  • Recurring motifs in his works include constellations, railways, and ciphers.