Taku Ashibe

Taku Ashibe
Born (1958-05-21) 21 May 1958 (age 66)
Osaka, Japan
OccupationWriter
LanguageJapanese
Period1990–present
GenreWhodunit, locked room mystery, detective fiction, mystery fiction, thriller, horror
Literary movementThe new traditionalist movement
Notable awardsAyukawa Tetsuya Award (1990)

Taku Ashibe (芦辺 拓, Ashibe Taku, born 21 May 1958) is a Japanese mystery writer. He is a member of the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan and one of the representative writers of the new traditionalist movement in Japanese mystery writing.

Works in English translation

Novel
Short story
  • "The Horror in the Kabuki Theatre" (original title: "Gohei Gekijō: Kabuki no Kuni Cthulhu Taiji"), trans. Sheryl Hogg (Lairs of the Hidden Gods 2: Inverted Kingdom, Kurodahan Press, 2005)[2]
  • "The Mummy and the Unicorn" (original title: "Miira to Unikōru"), trans. Nancy H. Ross (Strokes of Brush and Blade: Tales of the Samurai, Kurodahan Press, 2019)
  • "The Dashing Joker" (original title: "Shikku-suru Jōkā"), trans. Yuko Shimada (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September/October, 2020)

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

Detective Shunsaku Morie series

  • Novels
    • Satsujin Kigeki no Jūsan-nin (殺人喜劇の13人, lit. Thirteen in a Murder Comedy), 1990
    • Rekishi Kaidō Satsujin Jiken (歴史街道殺人事件, lit. The Historic Road Murder Case), 1995
    • Toki no Yūkai (時の誘拐, lit. The Kidnap in the Time), 1996
    • Rosuto Wārudo no Satsujin (地底獣国の殺人, lit. The Lost World Murders), 1997
    • Jūsanbanme no Baishin'in (十三番目の陪審員, lit. The 13th Jury), 1998
    • Fushigi no Kuni no Aribai (不思議の国のアリバイ, lit. Alibi in Wonderland), 1999
    • Kaijin Tai Meitantei (怪人対名探偵, lit. The Fiend versus the Detective), 2000
    • Wadokei no Yakata no Satsujin (和時計の館の殺人, lit. Murder at the House of Japanese Clock), 2000
    • Toki no Misshitsu (時の密室, lit. The Locked Room in the Time), 2001
    • Guran Ginyōru Jō (グラン・ギニョール城, lit. The Castle of Grand Guignol), 2001
    • Sen'ichiya no Yakata no Satsujin (千一夜の館の殺人, lit. Murder at the House of Thousand and One Nights), 2006
    • Kanojora wa Yuki no Meikyū ni (彼女らは雪の迷宮に, lit. In the Snow Labyrinth, They...), 2008
    • Kisōkyū Satsujin Jiken (綺想宮殺人事件, lit. The Palace of Bizarre Idea Murder Case), 2010
    • Shichi-nin no Tantei no Tame no Jiken (七人の探偵のための事件, lit. Case for Seven Detectives), 2011
    • Purinsesu ni Sasageru Misshitsu (大公女殿下に捧げる密室, lit. The Locked Room for Her Grand Ducal Highness), 2012
    • Toki no Shintei (時の審廷, lit. The Court in the Time), 2013
    • Ijigen no Yakata no Satsujin (異次元の館の殺人, lit. Murder at the House of Another Dimension), 2014
    • Daburu misuteri Gekkin-Tei no Satsujin / Non-shiriaru Kirā (ダブル・ミステリ　月琴亭の殺人 / ノンシリアル・キラー, lit. Double Mystery: Murder in the Hotel Yueqin / The Nonserial Killer), 2016
    • Tsuruya Nanboku no Satsujin (鶴屋南北の殺人, lit. Murder of Tsuruya Nanboku), 2020
  • Short story collections
    • Tantei Sengen: Morie Shunsaku no Jikenbo (探偵宣言 森江春策の事件簿, lit. Detective Declaration: The Casebook of Shunsaku Morie), 1998
    • Sekishibyō no Yakata no Satsujin (赤死病の館の殺人, lit. Murder at the House of Red Death), 2001
    • Sanbyaku-nen no Nazo-Bako (三百年の謎匣, lit. The Puzzle Box of 300 years), 2005
    • Shōnen wa Tantei o Yumemiru: Morie Shunsaku Kuronikuru (少年は探偵を夢見る 森江春策クロニクル, lit. A Boy Dreams of Being a Detective: The Chronicle of Shunsaku Morie), 2006
    • Saiban'in Hōtei (裁判員法廷, lit. The Lay Judge Court), 2008
    • Morie Shunsaku no Sainan (森江春策の災難, lit. The Misadventure of Shunsaku Morie), 2022

Modern City series

  • Satsujin Kigeki no Modan Shitī (殺人喜劇のモダン・シティ, lit. The Modern City of Murder Comedy), 1994 – Novel
  • Shōjo Tantei wa Teito o Kakeru (少女探偵は帝都を駆ける, lit. Girl Sleuth Runs the Imperial capital), 2009 – Short story collection

Jichikei tokuso series

  • Shitai no Samenai Uchi ni (死体の冷めないうちに, lit. Before the corpse is cold), 1998 – Short story collection
  • Metoroporisu ni Shi no Wana o (メトロポリスに死の罠を, lit. Death trap for Metropolis), 2002 – Novel

Standalone mystery novels

  • Hose Keibu Saidai no Bōken (保瀬警部最大の冒険, lit. Inspector Hose's Greatest Adventure), 1994
  • Setsudan Toshi (切断都市, lit. The Amputated City), 2004
  • Kōrōmu no Satsujin (紅楼夢の殺人), 2004 (Murder in the Red Chamber, Kurodahan Press, 2012)
  • Suchīmu Opera [Steam Opera] (スチームオペラ), 2012
  • Ōmarike Satsujin Jiken (大鞠家殺人事件, lit. The Ōmari Family Murder Case), 2021
  • Ōedo Kigan Jō (大江戸奇巌城, lit. The Hollow Needle in Edo), 2023

Short story collections

  • Mentantei Z: Fukanō Suiri (名探偵Z 不可能推理, lit. Z, The Great Detective: The Impossible Reasoning), 2002
  • Koroshi wa Erekiteru: Donsai Sensei Jikenchō (殺しはエレキテル 曇斎先生事件帳, lit. Murder by 'Erekiteru': Mr. Donsai's Case File), 2003
  • Gohei Gekijō: Karakuri-Dōrō (五瓶劇場 からくり灯籠, lit. Gohei's Theatre: Trick Lantern), 2007
    • Keisei Denki Jō (けいせい伝奇城)
    • Gohei no Chikara Nazo no Fūjime (五瓶力謎緘)
    • Hana no Miyako Sharaku no Sugao (花都写楽貌)
    • Kabuki no Kuni Cthulhu Taiji (戯場国邪神封陣) (The Horror in the Kabuki Theatre)
  • Meitantei Hakurankai: Shinsetsu Rupan (Lupin) Tai Hōmuzu (Holmes) (名探偵博覧会 真説ルパン対ホームズ, lit. Detective Exposition: Lupin versus Holmes, The True Story), 2000
  • Meitantei Hakurankai 2: Akechi Kogorō Tai Kindaichi Kōsuke (名探偵博覧会II 明智小五郎対金田一耕助, lit. Detective Exposition II: Kogorō Akechi vs Kōsuke Kindaichi), 2002
  • Tantei to Kaijin no Iru Hoteru (探偵と怪人のいるホテル, lit. The Hotel with Detective and Fiend), 2006
  • Meikyū Panoramakan (迷宮パノラマ館, lit. Labyrinthine Panorama Pavilion), 2007
  • Ōgon Mugen Jō Satsujin Jiken (黄金夢幻城殺人事件, lit. The Golden Dream Castle Murder Case), 2011
  • Kindaichi Kōsuke VS Akechi Kogorō (金田一耕助VS明智小五郎), 2013
  • Kitan o Uru Mise (奇譚を売る店, lit. The Shop that Sells Strange Tales), 2013
  • Gakufu to Tabisururu Otoko (楽譜と旅する男, lit. The Man Who Travelled With Sheet Music), 2017
  • Teito Tantei Taisen (帝都探偵大戦, Chronicles of the Detectives), 2017
  • Ojisan no Toranku Gentō Shōgekijō (おじさんのトランク 幻燈小劇場, lit. Uncle's Trunk: The Magic Lantern Theatre), 2019
  • Meitantei Sōtōjō: Ashibe Taku to Jūsan no Nazo (名探偵総登場 芦辺拓と13の謎, lit. Enter All Detectives: Taku Ashibe and the 13 Mysteries), 2020
  • Meitantei wa Dareda (名探偵は誰だ, lit. Who's the Detective?), 2022

Juvenile mystery novels

  • Neo Detective Boys series
    • Yōki Jō no Himitsu (妖奇城の秘密, lit. The Secret of Weird Castle), 2004
    • Densō Kaijin (電送怪人, lit. The Teleporting Fiend), 2005
    • Nazo no Jiorama Ōkoku (謎のジオラマ王国, lit. Mysterious Diorama Kingdom), 2005
  • Gesshoku Hime no Kisu (月蝕姫のキス, lit. Kiss of the Lunar Eclipse Princess), 2008
  • Sukūru Gāru Ekusupuresu 38 [School Girl Express 38] (スクールガール・エクスプレス38), 2012
  • Furiyagi Supika to Ma no Yōkan Jiken (降矢木すぴかと魔の洋館事件, lit. Supika Furiyagi and the Case of the Evil House), 2015

Historical fiction

  • Min Shin Shippūroku: Yume, Tei Seikō Senki (明清疾風録 夢・鄭成功戦記, lit. The Whirlwind of Ming and Qing Dynasty: The Dream, Koxinga's War Story)
    • Vol.1, 1995
    • Vol.2, 1996
    • Vol.3, 1997
  • Shin Nito Monogatari (新・二都物語, lit. New Tale of the Two Cities), 2018

See also

References

  1. ^ "18th-century murder mystery still delivers | The Japan Times". The Japan Times. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Lairs of the Hidden Gods 2: Inverted Kingdom". Kurodahan Press. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  3. ^ The Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan