Jirō Akagawa

is a Japanese novelist born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Biography Best known for his humorous mysteries, Akagawa's first short story, "Ghost Train", was published in 1976 and went on to win the annually granted All Yomimono New Mystery Writers' Prize by Bungeishunjū, a Japanese literary publishing company. Other works of his, and , were later made into anime, while was made into a popular live action movie. His most recognized works to date pertain to his Mike-neko (or Calico cat) Holmes series. He is extremely prolific; as of 2013, he had written more than 560 novels in the course of his thirty-year career, over 300 million individual published volumes.

Works in English translation Mystery novel Three Sisters Investigate (original title: San Shimai Tanteidan), trans. Gavin Frew (Kodansha International, Kodansha English Library, 1985)

Short story collection Midnight Suite (original title: Mayonaka no tame no Kumikyoku), trans. Gavin Frew (Kodansha International, Kodansha English Library, 1984)

Short story Beat Your Neighbor Out of Doors (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March 1992)

Essay My Favourite Mystery, "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie (Mystery Writers of Japan, Inc. )

Awards and nominations 1976 – All Yomimono New Mystery Writers' Prize (for unpublished short stories): "Ghost Train" (short story) 1979 – Nominee for Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel: Himatsubushi no Satsujin 1979 – Nominee for Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Short Story: "Zennin Mura no Mura Matsuri" 1980 – Kadokawa Novel Prize: Akusai ni Sasageru Rekuiemu (novel) 1980 – Nominee for Naoki Prize: "Uwayaku no Inai Getsuyobi", "Kinshu no Hi" and "Toho Jugo fun" (three short stories) 1980 – Nominee for Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers: Mike-neko Homuzu no Kaidan (novel) 1982 – Nominee for Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Short Story: "Kaidan" 2006 – Japan Mystery Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement

Main works

Calico Cat Holmes Novels , 1978 , 1979 , 1980 , 1981 , 1981 , 1982 , 1983 , 1985 , 1986 , 1987 , 1988 , 1990 , 1990 , 1991 , 1991 , 1992 , 1993 , 1994 , 1995 , 1995 , 1996 , 1997 , 1998 , 2000 , 2001 , 2002 , 2003 , 2005 , 2006 , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 Short story collections , 1983 , 1984 , 1984 , 1986 , 1988 , 1989 , 1992 , 1993 , 1996 , 1997 , 1998 , 1999 , 2002 , 2009

Three Sisters Investigate Novels , 1982 (English translation: Three Sisters Investigate. Kodansha International, Kodansha English Library. 1985) , 1985 , 1986 , 1987 , 1988 , 1989 , 1990 , 1991 , 1992 , 1993 , 1994 , 1995 , 1996 , 1997 , 1998 , 1999 , 2000 , 2002 , 2003 , 2005 , 2007 , 2011 , 2013

Hayakawa family series Novels , 1978 (French translation: Meurtres pour tuer le temps. Philippe Picquier Publishing. , ) , 1987 , 2000

Standalone novels , 1978 , 1981 (French translation: Le piège de la marionnette. Philippe Picquier Publishing. , )

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

TV drama adaptations

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

Video game adaptations Majo-tachi no Nemuri was an adaptation of two of Akagawa's works: Majotachi no Tasogare and Majotachi no Nagai Nemuri. Akagawa provided the original novel and did not supervised the script for the game. It was released for the Super Famicom in Japan on November 24, 1995. They were later re-leased with extra content as Majotachi no Nemuri -Kanzenban- in 1996 for home computers and for the PlayStation as Majo-tachi no Nemuri -Fukkatsusai- in 1999.

Yasōkyoku Akagawa Jirō: Yasōkyoku (PlayStation – 1998) (based on Akagawa's short story collection Satsujin o Yonda Hon) Akagawa Jirō: Yasōkyoku 2 (PlayStation – 2001) Akagawa Jirō Mystery: Yasōkyoku – Hon ni Manekareta Satsujin (Nintendo DS – 2008)

Others Akagawa Jirō no Yurei Ressha (Family Computer – 1991) (based on Akagawa's short story "Ghost Train") Tsuki no Hikari: Shizumeru Kane no Satsujin (PlayStation 2 – 2002) (based on Akagawa's novel Shizumeru Kane no Satsujin) Akagawa Jirō Mystery: Tsuki no Hikari (Nintendo DS – 2008) (based on Akagawa's novel Shizumeru Kane no Satsujin)

Unique Games Emit Vol. 1: Toki no Maigo (Scenario writing by Akagawa Jirō. Also bundled in the Emit Value Pack compilation) Emit Vol. 2: Inochigake no Tabi (Scenario writing by Akagawa Jirō. Also bundled in the Emit Value Pack compilation) Emit Vol. 3: Watashi ni Sayonara o (Scenario writing by Akagawa Jirō. Also bundled in the Emit Value Pack compilation)