Japan Mystery Literature Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (2003) award
Tsuzuki Michio
つづき みちお
Tsuzuki Michio
Aliases:
松岡 巌 / 小林 菖夫 / 淡路 瑛一 / 柴田 梅玉 / 伊藤 照夫 / 鶴川 匡介 / 淡路 龍太郎 / 松林 桃園
Pen Names:
Matsuoka Iwao（Birth name (legal name)）,
Tsuzuki Michio（Primary pen name; most works published under this name）,
Awaji Eiichi（One of several pseudonyms used early in career）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1929-07-06 （Sekiguchi Suidomachi, Koishikawa (Tokyo City; now Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo), Japan）
- Died
- 2003-11-27 （Honolulu, Hawaii, United States） age 74
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (long-term residence) → Honolulu, Hawaii (late life, lived with family)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Translator, Magazine editor, Critic/Essayist, Screenwriter (film & TV)
- Active Years
- 1947-2003
- Influenced By
- G. K. Chesterton, Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, Kusao Jūran, Okamoto Kido, Daibutsu Jirō, Ōtsubo Sunao
- Influenced
- Fukabori Kotsu, Hatenae Megumi (Megumi Hatanaka), Multiple mystery writers and translators who studied under him
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda Jitsugyo School | — | — | — | 在学〜1945年（中退） | Japan |
Waseda Jitsugyo School
Period:
在学〜1945年（中退）
Country:
Japan
Left school shortly before graduation in December 1945. He later commented that he effectively had only elementary schooling.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Criticism/Essay category) | The Making of a Mystery Writer (Tsuzuki's memoir/essay) | 評論その他 | Mystery Writers of Japan | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize | — | — | Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize Committee | 受賞 |
Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Criticism/Essay category)
2001
Work:
The Making of a Mystery Writer (Tsuzuki's memoir/essay)
Category:
評論その他
Organization:
Mystery Writers of Japan
Result:
受賞
Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize
2002
Organization:
Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Drive a Nail into a Cat's Tongue
1961 Detective fiction (short fiction; experimental)A collection featuring experimental pieces in which the narrator may assume roles of detective, criminal, and victim; notable for inventive premises and emphasis on logical explanation.
experimental structureboundary between self and otherlogic and mystery
Paper Trap
1962 Crime fiction (hard-boiled)A Kondo & Hijikata series entry; later adapted as the film 'Kiwai Koto Nara Zeni ni Naru'.
urban crimehuman darker sidessocial elements
Adaptations
- [Film] If It's Dangerous, It Pays (1962)
Blood-Splattered Sand Picture
1969 Period mystery (Namekuji Nagaya series)One of the representative entries in the Namekuji Nagaya detective series; mixes Edo-period atmosphere with bizarre mysteries.
Edo culturelogical causation of crimeshumor and pathos
The Life and Detecting of Kirion Sley
1972 Series (eccentric detective)A series featuring the lazy poet Kirion Sley as protagonist; characterized by light tone and quirky premises.
boarding-house lifeoutsider perspectiveplayful detection
Bibliography
- Drive a Nail into a Cat's Tongue (1961)
- Paper Trap (1962)
- Blood-Splattered Sand Picture (1969)
- The Life and Detecting of Kirion Sley (1972)
- The Making of a Mystery Writer (2000)
Adaptations
- If It's Dangerous, It Pays (film, 1962)
- Don't Touch Me, It's Dangerous (film, 1966)
- Era of Murder Maniacs (film, 1967)
- Dr. Mirage (TV, 1978)
- Namekuji Nagaya Casebook (TV, 1990)
Translations by Author
- The Naked Sun (translation/adaptation of Isaac Asimov)
- The Mystery of the Silver Cigarette Case (children's translation)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Cool, hard-boiled descriptive styleConcise storytelling with many short-short piecesEntertainment-oriented prose incorporating parody and experimental structures
- Recurring Motifs
- urban nightlife and crimeeccentric detectives and odd protagonistspresentation of logical necessityEdo/period scenery (period fiction)
Health
-
Arteriosclerosis (fatal heart attack)晩年（2003年に心臓発作で死去）Died of a heart attack in 2003 related to arteriosclerosis. He continued writing into late life, though health issues may have affected activities.
Legacy
Tsuzuki Michio was a prolific author, translator and editor who significantly influenced postwar Japanese mystery and SF literature. He is noted for his vast short-short output, inventive detectives, and his role in introducing foreign mysteries to Japan through translation and editorial work. He also mentored many younger writers.
Academic Societies
- Mystery Writers of Japan
Archives
- National Diet Library (holds related materials)
- Publishers' archives (Hayakawa Publishing etc.)
In Popular Culture
- Several works adapted for film and television, increasing public recognition
- His short-shorts and distinctive detectives influenced subsequent writers
Quotes
-
I wanted to write good novels, even if they were light.
Source: From his essays/ memoir 'The Making of a Mystery Writer' and other writings (2000)
Trivia
- Wrote under many pseudonyms (e.g., Awaji Eiichi, Matsubayashi Tōen).
- Produced a very large number of short-shorts — estimates exceed 500 pieces.
- Moved to Honolulu late in life after his wife's death; lived with his daughter.
- Also notable as an editor and translator who helped introduce foreign mysteries to Japan.