# Good Japanese Suspense/Mystery books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447 "2009-09-09T17:54:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447/1 "2009-09-09T17:54:29Z")
Apologies if the title is kind of…I don’t know, culturist? Is it wrong to single out Japanese books? I’m reading them in English–it’s not like I’m practicing my (nonexistent) Japanese language skills. I hate to seem Orientalist–like, is it weird that I’m just asking about books by Japanese authors? Anyway, I’ve been reading some Miyuki Miyabe (All She Was Worth, Shadow Family and am now on Devil’s Whisper which is awesome). I’ve read Out by Natsuo Kirino, and also Grotesque and loved both books. I really enjoyed the book Battle Royale a while ago. I also like a lot of the weird supernatural ones, like Naoko (Keigo Higashino), the one where the girl and her mother die and the mother is in the daughter’s body (and the husband/father is still alive and well). And of course the Ring series–loved that one. I’ve never been able to get into Haruki Murakami despite trying. I liked Norwegian Wood but the others have been a bit too weird for me. Does anyone else who’s read some of these books have any good books to recommend? ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447/2 "2009-09-09T20:07:43Z")
I’m surprised that you didn’t mention [Edogawa Rampo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edogawa_Rampo). He’s a must-read and widely considered one of the progenitors of modern Japanese mystery writing. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447/3 "2009-09-09T20:31:18Z")
I came across him just today when I was looking on amazon for people who had read books that I liked. I’ll add him to my list as well. Thanks for mentioning him. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447/4 "2009-09-10T00:48:03Z")
Well, this probably isn’t what you’re looking for, but it technically fits the thread requirements: I quite enjoy the historical mysteries of I.J. Parker (the first one is called “The Dragon Scroll”). They are set in 12th century Japan and are fairly traditional mystery novels. I was surprised that so much is known about Japan and its culture in this era. Light reading, to be sure, but fun. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447/5 "2009-09-10T02:32:28Z")
Japan loves fair play whodunnits. One of the hallmarks of an intelligent and enlightened society, IMO. Sadly, we in the U.S. prefer clueless themed drivel deceptively packaged as so-called “mysteries,” so fairly few that I’ve seen have been translated here (at least outside specialty bookstores). But check out _The Tokyo Zodiac Murders_ for an example of one that did make it; I sure enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Mervyn\_Pumpkinhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@Mervyn\_Pumpkinhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mervyn_Pumpkinhead)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-japanese-suspense-mystery-books/509447/6 "2009-09-12T00:50:15Z")
You just have to read Kyoka Izumi: [http://www.amazon.com/Light-Shadows-Gothic-Tales-Izumi/dp/0824828240/ref=sr\_1\_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252716469&sr=1-2](http://www.amazon.com/Light-Shadows-Gothic-Tales-Izumi/dp/0824828240/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252716469&sr=1-2) Also check out the short stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, he is like a Japanese Borges.