Jirō Akagawa facts for kids

Jirō Akagawa (赤川 次郎, Akagawa Jirō, born February 29, 1948) is a famous Japanese writer. He was born in Fukuoka, Japan. He is known for writing exciting mystery stories.

About Jirō Akagawa

Jirō Akagawa is a very popular Japanese novelist. He writes many different kinds of stories. These include funny mysteries, thrilling adventures, and even some scary horror tales.

His Writing Journey

Akagawa started his writing career in 1976. His very first short story was called "Ghost Train." It was so good that it won an important award called the All Yomimono New Mystery Writers' Prize. This award helped him become well-known.

Some of his books have even been turned into cartoons (anime) and live-action movies! For example, The Incident in the Bedroom Suburb and Voice from Heaven became anime. His book Sailor Suit and Machine Gun was made into a very popular movie.

He is famous for his "Mike-neko Holmes" series. These stories feature a clever Calico cat named Holmes who helps solve mysteries! Akagawa has written over 560 novels in his career. That's a lot of books!

Books You Can Read in English

Some of Jirō Akagawa's exciting stories have been translated into English. This means you can read them even if you don't speak Japanese!

• Three Sisters Investigate: This is a mystery novel about three sisters who solve crimes.
• Midnight Suite: This is a collection of short mystery stories. It includes tales like "The Car Park" and "The Wardrobe."

Awards He Has Won

Jirō Akagawa has won many awards for his writing. These awards show how much people appreciate his stories.

• 1976: He won the All Yomimono New Mystery Writers' Prize for his short story "Ghost Train." This was a great start to his career!
• 1980: He received the Kadokawa Novel Prize for his book Akusai ni Sasageru Rekuiemu.
• 2006: He won the Japan Mystery Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award celebrates his amazing work over many years.

His Main Story Series

Jirō Akagawa has written many popular series. Here are some of his most famous ones:

Calico Cat Holmes Series

This series is about a detective cat named Holmes. He is a Calico cat who helps solve mysteries with his human friends.

• Mike-Neko Holmes no Suiri (1978)
• Mike-Neko Holmes no Tsuiseki (1979)
• Mike-Neko Holmes no Kaidan (1980)
• And many more! He has written over 30 novels and several short story collections in this popular series.

Three Sisters Investigate Series

This series follows the adventures of three sisters who become detectives. They work together to solve different mysteries.

• San Shimai Tanteidan (1982) (This one was translated into English as Three Sisters Investigate)
• San Shimai Tanteidan 2: Kyanpasu hen (1985)
• And many more! This series also has over 20 novels.

Other Popular Books

• Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1978): This is a standalone novel that was made into a famous movie.
• Marionetto no Wana (1981): This book is also known as Puppet's Trap.

Stories on Screen and in Games

Jirō Akagawa's stories are so popular that they have been adapted into movies, TV shows, and even video games!

Movies Based on His Books

• Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981)
• Detective Story (1983)
• Early Spring Story (1985)
• Who Do I Choose? (1989)
• Chizuko's Younger Sister (1991)

TV Shows Based on His Books

• Mike-Neko Holmes Series (1979 - 1984)
• Mike-Neko Holmes no Suiri (2012)

Video Games Based on His Books

Many of his thrilling stories have been turned into video games, letting players dive into the mysteries themselves!

• Akagawa Jirō: Majotachi no Nemuri (Super Famicom – 1995)
• Akagawa Jirō: Yasōkyoku (PlayStation – 1998)
• Akagawa Jirō no Yurei Ressha (Family Computer – 1991) (based on his first short story "Ghost Train")
• Tsuki no Hikari: Shizumeru Kane no Satsujin (PlayStation 2 – 2002)

He also helped write the stories for a series of unique games called Emit:

• Emit Vol. 1: Toki no Maigo
• Emit Vol. 2: Inochigake no Tabi
• Emit Vol. 3: Watashi ni Sayonara o

See also

• Japanese detective fiction