Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Grand Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (2020) grand prize
Hotate Shinkawa
しんかわ ほたて
Shinkawa Hotate
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1991-02-21 （Dallas, Texas, United States）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Miyazaki City, Japan (early childhood) → Tokyo, Japan (former residence) → Boston, United States (residence) → Chicago, United States (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Lawyer, Former professional mahjong player
- Active Years
- 2021-
- Affiliations
- Mystery Writers of Japan, Japan SF Writers Club, Saikouisen Japan Professional Mahjong Association (former)
- Memberships
- Mystery Writers of Japan, Japan SF Writers Club
- Influenced By
- Natsume Sōseki, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle), J.K. Rowling
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tokyo | Faculty of Law | Law | 学士（法学） | — | Japan |
| The University of Tokyo (Law School) | Law School / Graduate School | Law | 法務博士（専門職） | — | Japan |
The University of Tokyo
Faculty of Law
/ Law
Degree:
学士（法学）
Country:
Japan
The University of Tokyo (Law School)
Law School / Graduate School
/ Law
Degree:
法務博士（専門職）
Country:
Japan
Passed the bar and completed legal training before registering as an attorney
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Grand Prize (19th) | The Ex-Boyfriend's Will | — | Takarajimasha | 大賞 |
| 2025 | Alpaca Literary Prize (1st) | Himawari (Sunflower) | — | Alpaca Literary Prize Committee | 大賞 |
| 2025 | Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (38th) | Women's Parliament | — | Shinchosha | 受賞 |
Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Grand Prize (19th)
2020
Work:
The Ex-Boyfriend's Will
Organization:
Takarajimasha
Result:
大賞
Alpaca Literary Prize (1st)
2025
Work:
Himawari (Sunflower)
Organization:
Alpaca Literary Prize Committee
Result:
大賞
Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (38th)
2025
Work:
Women's Parliament
Organization:
Shinchosha
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Yamamoto Shugoro Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 38 (2025) award
Works
Major Works
The Ex-Boyfriend's Will
2021 Mystery (Legal mystery)First in the series featuring lawyer Reiko Kenmochi. A legal mystery that unfolds around an unusual will and the interpersonal ties surrounding it.
Law and ethicsInheritance and interpersonal relationshipsWomen's independence
Her Series of Bankruptcies
2021 MysteryA work in the Kenmochi series that uses corporate failure and financial distress as the backdrop for a legally driven mystery.
Corporations and lawFinancial hardshipReinvention
One-Night Mystery of Reiko Kenmochi
2022 MysteryA series installment with short-story elements; features deduction and legal maneuvering that unfold in a limited time frame.
Time-constrained mysteryLegal tactics
The Guardians of Competition
2022 MysteryA novel themed around competition, monopolies, and the relationship between regulators and private companies; follows investigative approaches to uncover the truth.
Competition and fairnessInvestigation / undercover inquiry
The Guardians of Competition: The Prince of Undercover
2022 MysteryA follow-up/related work to 'The Guardians of Competition' focusing on undercover investigation into organizational secrets.
Organizational secretsInfiltration / undercover work
The Ancestor Detective
2022 MysteryA mystery that uses family lineage and ancestry as clues; family history becomes central to the case.
Family historyMemory and the past
A Fictional Code on Healthy Rebellion in Reiwa and Other Reiwa
2023 Short story collection / FictionA collection of short stories that question social and personal norms through varied fictional pieces.
Social critiqueIdentity
Cutting Ties: Divorce Lawyer Tsumugi Matsuoka's Case Files
2023 MysteryA case-file style book focused on divorce; portrays entangled human relationships and legal resolutions from a lawyer's perspective.
Divorce and lawComplicated interpersonal relationships
Women's Parliament
2024 Social fictionA novel set against politics and social institutions that depicts the activities and conflicts of women. Winner of the 2025 Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize.
Politics and genderPublic responsibility
Himawari (Sunflower)
2024 FictionA work containing short to mid-length stories. Awarded the Alpaca Literary Prize Grand Prize in 2025.
Loss and rebirthSubtleties of daily life
An Eye for an Eye
2025 MysteryA recent work dealing with themes of revenge and justice.
JusticeRevenge
The Elegant Butler of the Magical Law School 1: Welcome to Magic Law Academy
2025 Fantasy / Light novel styleA fantasy-rich work that intersects magic and law (publication scheduled / announced).
Magic and lawSchool setting
Bibliography
- The Ex-Boyfriend's Will
- Her Series of Bankruptcies
- One-Night Mystery of Reiko Kenmochi
- The Guardians of Competition
- The Guardians of Competition: The Prince of Undercover
- The Ancestor Detective
- A Fictional Code on Healthy Rebellion in Reiwa and Other Reiwa
- Cutting Ties: Divorce Lawyer Tsumugi Matsuoka's Case Files
- Women's Parliament
- Himawari (Sunflower)
- An Eye for an Eye
- The Elegant Butler of the Magical Law School 1: Welcome to Magic Law Academy
- Hotate's Apology Notes: Tenyawanya (Essay)
- Hotate's Apology Notes: Ottotto (Essay)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Clear, brisk prose incorporating legal perspectivesDialogue-driven storytelling with touches of humour and broad popular appeal
- Recurring Motifs
- Law and ethicsFemale protagonistsMysteries hidden in everyday life
Health
-
Health problems due to overwork / fatigue勤務弁護士時代Collapsed from overwork during long hours as a practicing attorney; this led to leaving the firm, later serving as a corporate counsel, and ultimately focusing on writing.
Legacy
A young writer who leveraged legal experience to craft legal mysteries, gaining early commercial success with her debut and earning literary recognition such as the 2025 Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize.
Academic Societies
- Mystery Writers of Japan
- Japan SF Writers Club
In Popular Culture
- TV appearances including Fuji TV's 'Seven Rules'
- Appearances on mahjong-related programs (e.g., ABEMA 'Mahjong Strongest Battle 2021')
- Debut novel 'The Ex-Boyfriend's Will' attracted public attention and ranked in mystery lists
Trivia
- Born in 1991 in Dallas but moved to Miyazaki City in early childhood
- Graduated from The University of Tokyo (Faculty of Law) and its Law School; passed the bar and registered as an attorney
- Former brief-career professional mahjong player affiliated with Saikouisen
- Won the Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Grand Prize in 2020 and debuted in 2021
- Awarded the Alpaca Literary Prize Grand Prize and the 38th Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 2025