Japanese Literary Awards

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Azami Saito

さいどう あざみ

Saito Azami

Pen Names: Tebasaki Sasami（Pen name used when submitting to the 1st Shincho Mystery Award）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
Morioka, Iwate, Japan
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Morioka, Iwate (birthplace) → From 2014: Kanagawa Prefecture (moved to attend fashion/design vocational school)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Mystery writer
Active Years
2015-
Influenced By
Edogawa Rampo, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Yukito Ayatsuji, Kazuki Sakuraba

Education

Iwate University
Faculty of Education, Arts and Culture Course
Period: 在学〜2012年卒業
Year of Graduation: 2012
Country: Japan
Studied art at university. Holds a curator (museum curator) qualification.

Awards

1st Shincho Mystery Award
2014
Work: Sanaki no Mori
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sanaki no Mori

2015 Horror / Mystery

A work combining archaic-character-styled horror episodes and light-novel-like parts. Winner of the 1st Shincho Mystery Award and published as a debut book.

SupernaturalMemoryLocal identity

Jueki Shoujo

2016 Mystery

A mystery centered on young women, characterized by vivid descriptions of nature and bodily sensations.

GirlsNatureIdentity

Fumura-ke Kitan: A Chronicle of a Possessed Clan

2021 Weird fiction / Mystery

A novel centered on the history of possessions within a family line. Later republished in bunkobon under the title 'Awakosama — Fumura-ke Kitan —'.

FamilyCurseGenerations

Showa Girl Detective Group

2018 Detective / Mystery

First in a series evoking the Showa era featuring girl detectives. Noted for nostalgic atmosphere and mystery tricks.

NostalgiaFriendshipPuzzle-solving

If the Mystery Is Solved, Farewell

2019 Mystery

A follow-up in the Showa Girl Detective Group series, mixing polite narration with unsettling mysteries.

Showa eraGirlsSecrets

Enamel: That Mystery Is Her Pastime

2022 Light literature / Mystery

Combines light-novel tone with authentic mystery elements in a collection of shorter works.

PlayfulnessMysteryEveryday wounds

The Ghost Writer and the Antique Dealer: The Mystery That Floated at Twilight

2024 Mystery

A work combining tricks involving ghosts and antiques with human drama in a short-story style.

GhostsAntiquesHuman relationships

The Ghost Writer and the Antique Dealer: The Truth Seen at Dawn

2024 Mystery

A sequel-like collection focusing on mysteries surrounding memory and the past.

MemoryPastRevelation

How to Break a Right World: The Murder at the End of the Ends

2025 Mystery

A large-scale mystery novel proposing a world-shaking trick.

WorldviewPuzzle-solvingEthics

Bibliography

  • Sanaki no Mori
  • Jueki Shoujo
  • Showa Girl Detective Group
  • If the Mystery Is Solved, Farewell
  • Fumura-ke Kitan: A Chronicle of a Possessed Clan
  • Awakosama — Fumura-ke Kitan — (retitled bunkobon)
  • Enamel: That Mystery Is Her Pastime
  • The Ghost Writer and the Antique Dealer: The Mystery That Floated at Twilight
  • The Ghost Writer and the Antique Dealer: The Truth Seen at Dawn
  • How to Break a Right World: The Murder at the End of the Ends

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Juxtaposition of weird tales and light-novel style narrationUse of archaic characters and antiquated narrative voiceEmphasis on mystery tricks
Recurring Motifs
GirlsShowa-era nostalgiaFamily secretsGhosts / possession

Legacy

Debuted after winning the Shincho Mystery Award and has attracted attention for a unique style that crosses horror and light literature. Considered a promising young mystery writer.

Trivia

  • Debuted with 'Sanaki no Mori', winner of the 1st Shincho Mystery Award.
  • Used the pen name 'Tebasaki Sasami' when submitting work for the award.
  • Studied art at Iwate University and holds a curator qualification.
  • Moved to Kanagawa in 2014 to attend a vocational school for fashion/design.