Fūtarō Yamada

, known by his pen name , was a Japanese author. He was born in Yabu, Hyogo. In 1947, he wrote a mystery short story and was awarded a prize by the magazine . He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 Ninpōchō series) and mystery stories. Many of his works have been adapted for film, TV, manga, and anime.

Works in English translation Novels The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (original title: 甲賀忍法帖, Kōga Ninpōchō), translation Geoff Sant (Del Rey, 2006) The Meiji Guillotine Murders (original title: 明治断頭台, Meiji Dantōdai, 1979), translation Bryan Karetnyk (Pushkin Press, 2023)

Short story "The Yellow Lodger" (original title: 黄色い下宿人 Kiiroi Geshukunin, 1957) translation by Kyoko Omori published in Old Crimes, New Scenes: A Century of Innovations in Japanese Mystery Fiction, Ed. Charles Exley and Michael Stone Tangeman (MerwinAsia, 2018). ISBN 9781937385347

Awards 1949, the 2nd Detective Story Writers' Club Award 1997, the 45th Kikuchi Kan Prize 2000, the 4th Japan Mystery Award 2004, the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for Basilisk, the manga adaptation of The Kouga Ninja Scrolls

Selected works

Ninja stories (Ninpōchō series) - adapted to film in 2005, to manga in 1963 and two times in 2003, and to anime in 2005 (based on one of the 2003 manga). - adapted to film in 1963, and as a TV series in 1966.

- adapted to film twice: in 1964 (as Kunoichi Ninpō) and in 1991. - adapted to film twice: in 1964 (as Kunoichi Keshō) and in 1992. - adapted to film in 1963, 1996, and 2011. - adapted to film in 1965, in 1983 (TV), and in 1994. - adapted to film in 1982 (as Ninja Wars) and to manga in 2004.

- adapted to film in 1965 and in 1968. - adapted to film in 1998 and to manga in 2005. - adapted to film in 1969. - adapted to film in 1995.

(serialized as Oboro Ninpōchō) - adapted to film in 1981, 1996 and 2003, to anime in 1997 and to various manga. - adapted to film in 1968.

- adapted to film in 1993.

- adapted to TV in 2018.

Other fiction

- adapted to manga in 1978. - adapted to film in 1956.

- adapted to manga in 2006. - adapted to TV series in 1972, TV movie in 1983, V-cinema film in 1995, and to manga in 2006. - adapted to film in 1965.

- adapted to TV series in 2001.

- adapted to manga in 2000.