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Yasuhiko Nishizawa

にしざわ やすひこ

Nishizawa Yasuhiko

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-12-25 （Aki, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Aki, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan (birthplace) → Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan (residence)

Career

Occupations
novelist, mystery writer, science fiction writer
Active Years
1995-
Affiliations
Mystery Writers of Japan, Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan
Memberships
Mystery Writers of Japan, Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan
Influenced By
Michio Tsuzuki, Sōji Shimada, Robert J. Sawyer, Peter Dickinson
Nominations
1990 - Ayukawa Tetsuya Award nominee ("Rensatsu"), 1996 - Mystery Writers of Japan Award (long novel) nominee ("The Man Who Died Seven Times"), 2003 - Honkaku Mystery Award (fiction) nominee ("Renshūsatsu"), 2014 - Mystery Writers of Japan Award (short story) nominee ("Love Letter")

Education

Kōchi Prefectural Aki High School
Country: Japan
Eckerd College
Creative Writing (specialty)
Country: United States
Reportedly graduated in creative writing (source cited)

Awards

Sense of Gender Award
2002
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Gender SF Research Group
Result: 特別賞
Mystery Writers of Japan Award
2023
Category: 短編部門
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Man Who Died Seven Times

1995 Mystery / SF elements

A mystery in which a boy trapped in a time loop repeats the same day multiple times and attempts to prevent his grandfather's death; a work that demonstrates how SF devices can be used within classic logical mystery structure.

time loopcausalitydetective reasoning
Translations
  • Korean: Ilgop beon jug-eun namja (translation of 七回死んだ男)

Kaitai Shoin

1995 Mystery

Debut work (collection/linked short stories). Noted for logical tricks and character-focused writing.

locked-roomlogical puzzles

2023 short mystery

A short story in the Udekan Detective series; winner of the Mystery Writers of Japan Award (short story).

series short storycharacter study

Bibliography

  • Kaitai Shoin (1995)
  • The Man Who Died Seven Times (1995)
  • The Murder of Personality Transfer (1996)
  • Hermaphrodite Labyrinth (2001)
  • The Heterogeneous Girl (2023)

Adaptations

  • The Beer House Adventure (stage play)
  • Udekan Detective (manga adaptation)

Translations of Works

  • The Man Who Died Seven Times → Ilgop beon jug-eun namja (Korean)
  • The Night She Died → Geunyeoga jugeun bam (Korean)
  • God's Logic, Human's Magic → Shin-ui rojik in-gan-ui maejik (Korean)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Classic logical mystery incorporating SF elementsEmphasis on logical explanation of tricksStrong attention to character psychology
Recurring Motifs
time loopspersonality transferlocked roomsintroducing seemingly 'cheating' abilities but fully explaining their rules

Legacy

Recognized as a writer who blends SF ideas into logically driven classic mysteries. His unique premises and detailed character work place him within a strand of the Shin-honkaku (new orthodox) mystery movement.

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of Japan
  • Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan

In Popular Culture

  • Several works adapted for stage and manga

Trivia

  • The Man Who Died Seven Times is said to have been inspired by the Bill Murray film Groundhog Day.
  • The Udekan Detective series from Jitsugyo no Nihonsha reached 300,000 copies in circulation (as of 2014).
  • Known for using unusual or idiosyncratic surnames extensively for characters.