Top 5 Japanese Mysteries

Since I write a mystery set in Japan for an English-speaking audience, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite Japanese mysteries — books set in Japan or written by Japanese authors. One thing to know before diving in: Japanese mysteries can be pretty dark and graphic. The first few I read were a bit disturbing, but I couldn't help being completely drawn in. Here are five that I find myself recommending again and again.

1. OUT by Natsuo Kirino

This is the quintessential Japanese mystery, and it is based on actual events that occurred in Japan in the 1990s — a body found dismembered in Inokashira Park in the Kichijoji neighborhood of Tokyo. Since that murder (never solved), garbage cans have been removed from the park and you must take your trash with you when you leave. Out uses the same technique for disposing of a body, but that's only one twisted piece of the puzzle. I promise you will never look at bento boxes the same way again.

2. All She Was Worth by Miyuki Miyabe

If you want a real and intimate look into Japanese society and how it functions, this is a great place to start. The crimes are mostly missing persons and credit fraud, but you get to see how people navigate and exploit Japanese bureaucratic systems. I found this book fascinating for all the twists and turns on the way to the final reveal.

3. A Wild Sheep Chase & Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami

These two books come as a pair. The mystery in them is both supernatural and not — and as usual, Murakami draws from magical realism to create a fantastical, other-worldly setting without ever leaving Tokyo. Who is the man in the sheep suit and what does he want? These books captured me completely.

4. The Dragon Scroll (Akitada Mysteries) by I.J. Parker

The Dragon Scroll is the first in a 15+ book series set in ancient Japan. I've read the first five or six and loved them all. They're not only clever mysteries but excellent historical fiction — giving rich insight into Japan's feudal past, its social castes, and its legal traditions.

5. Shinju (San Ichiro Novels) by Laura Joh Rowland

This one has been on my reading list for ages, highly recommended by friends who have lived in Japan. It is set in 17th-century Edo and concerns the apparent murder-suicide of two people drowned in a river together. A long and beloved series worth starting from the beginning.

Other authors worth seeking out: Seicho Matsumoto, Keigo Higashino, Barry Lancet, and Sujata Massey (who writes the Rei Shimura Mysteries). There's a whole world of Japanese mystery fiction waiting for you. Enjoy!