Japanese Literary Awards

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Hidefumi Okada

おかだ ひでふみ

Okada Hidefumi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1963-11-15 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Mystery writer
Active Years
2000-
Affiliations
Mystery Writers of Japan
Memberships
Mystery Writers of Japan

Education

Meiji University
Faculty of Agriculture
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan

Awards

Shōsetsu Suiri Newcomer Prize
1999
Work: Mishiranu Samurai
Organization: Futabasha (Shosetsu Suiri)
Result: 受賞
Japan Mystery Literature Award for New Writers
2002
Work: Taiko Assassination
Organization: Kobunsha
Result: 受賞
Honkaku Mystery Award
2015
Work: The Tragedy of Kokuryuso
Organization: Honkaku Mystery Writers Club
Result: 候補
Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Long story / Collections)
2015
Work: The Tragedy of Kokuryuso
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: 候補

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Honnoji: Six Nights Tale

2001 Historical novel / Historical mystery

A work dealing with mysteries surrounding the Honnoji Incident, combining short and mid-length stories that treat historical events from a mystery perspective.

Sengoku periodHistorical mysteries

The Assassination of Taiko

2002 Historical mystery

A novel centered on the conspiracy and mystery surrounding the assassination of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, fictionalizing historical figures and events.

AssassinationPower struggles

The Tragedy of Kokuryuso

2014 Classic mystery

A mansion-style long-form mystery that intricately depicts locked-room elements and tangled interpersonal relationships.

Closed-circle settingHuman drama

Sekigahara

2013 Historical fiction

A historical novel set around the Battle of Sekigahara, portraying military strategy and human relationships.

BattlefieldSengoku politics

Kubi Irazu: Suo-in Madoka, Head of the Aristocratic Investigation Bureau

2020 Period mystery

A period-mystery installment set in the Meiji era, depicting mysteries around police and investigative bodies.

Post-Meiji Restoration societyInvestigation

Bibliography

  • Honnoji: Six Nights Tale
  • The Assassination of Taiko
  • Kageboushi
  • Mishiranu Samurai
  • The Fallen Flower Runs West
  • Demon General: The Life of Ashikaga Yoshinori
  • Castle-Taking Fujikichiro
  • The Last Spy
  • Hideyori, To the West
  • Tracks of the Wind
  • Gensuke the Rogue Jitte
  • Shizugatake
  • Shadow of Nobunaga
  • Secret Tales of the Ōnin
  • Assassin: Dokuro Chūnagon
  • Sekigahara
  • The Strange Case at Ito Hirobumi's Residence
  • The Tragedy of Kokuryuso
  • Counterfeit Alliance
  • The Kaimyo-maru Incident
  • Professor Gachirin's Criminal Investigation Classroom
  • The Ashikaga Brothers
  • Great Metropolitan Investigation Network
  • Wartime Investigation Network
  • Shirakiri Academy Detective Fiction Club
  • The Endnote of the Restoration
  • The Siege of Osaka
  • Clinical Trial Island

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A stiff narrative blending period fiction and mysteryEmphasis on historical context and puzzle-solving
Recurring Motifs
Historical settings (Sengoku, Bakumatsu)Assassination and conspiraciesLocked-room / closed-circle settings

Legacy

Known for combining period fiction and classic mystery. Since his debut he has published numerous mystery works based on historical events and has gained recognition within the mystery community.

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of Japan

Trivia

  • Graduated from Meiji University Faculty of Agriculture
  • Debuted after winning the Shōsetsu Suiri Newcomer Prize in 1999 for the short story "Mishiranu Samurai"
  • Won the Japan Mystery Literature Award for New Writers in 2002 for "The Assassination of Taiko"