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Inspector Imanishi Investigates
In the wee hours of a 1960s Tokyo morning, a dead body is found under the rails of a train, and the victim’s face is so badly damaged that police have a hard time figuring out the victim’s identity. Only two clues surface: an old man, overheard talking in a distinctive accent to a young man, and the word “kameda.” Inspector Imanishi leaves his beloved bonsai and his haiku and goes off to investigate—and runs up against a blank wall. Months pass in fruitless questioning, in following up leads, until the case is closed, unsolved.
But Imanishi is dissatisfied, and a series of coincidences lead him back to the case. Why did a young woman scatter pieces of white paper out of the window of a train? Why did a bar girl leave for home right after Imanishi spoke to her? Why did an actor, on the verge of telling Imanishi something important, drop dead of a heart attack? What can a group of nouveau young artists possibly have to do with the murder of a quiet and “saintly” provincial old ex-policemen? Inspector Imanishi investigates.
But Imanishi is dissatisfied, and a series of coincidences lead him back to the case. Why did a young woman scatter pieces of white paper out of the window of a train? Why did a bar girl leave for home right after Imanishi spoke to her? Why did an actor, on the verge of telling Imanishi something important, drop dead of a heart attack? What can a group of nouveau young artists possibly have to do with the murder of a quiet and “saintly” provincial old ex-policemen? Inspector Imanishi investigates.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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8109 people want to read
About the author
Seichō Matsumoto
589 books567 followersSeicho Matsumoto (松本清張, Matsumoto Seichō), December 21, 1909 – August 4, 1992) was a Japanese writer.
Matsumoto's works created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction. Dispensing with formulaic plot devices such as puzzles, Matsumoto incorporated elements of human psychology and ordinary life into his crime fiction. In particular, his works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nihilism that expanded the scope and further darkened the atmosphere of the genre. His exposé of corruption among police officials as well as criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society in which the crime was committed.
The self-educated Matsumoto did not see his first book in print until he was in his forties. He was a prolific author, he wrote until his death in 1992, producing in four decades more than 450 works. Matsumoto's mystery and detective fiction solidified his reputation as a writer at home and abroad. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction in addition to mystery/detective fiction.
He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970, as well as the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1957. He chaired the president of Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971.
Credited with popularizing the genre among readers in his country, Matsumoto became his nation's best-selling and highest earning author in the 1960s. His most acclaimed detective novels, including Ten to sen (1958; Points and Lines, 1970); Suna no utsuwa (1961; Inspector Imanishi Investigates, 1989) and Kiri no hata (1961; Pro Bono, 2012), have been translated into a number of languages, including English.
He collaborated with film director Yoshitarō Nomura on adaptations of eight of his novels to film, including Castle of Sand.
Matsumoto's works created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction. Dispensing with formulaic plot devices such as puzzles, Matsumoto incorporated elements of human psychology and ordinary life into his crime fiction. In particular, his works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nihilism that expanded the scope and further darkened the atmosphere of the genre. His exposé of corruption among police officials as well as criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society in which the crime was committed.
The self-educated Matsumoto did not see his first book in print until he was in his forties. He was a prolific author, he wrote until his death in 1992, producing in four decades more than 450 works. Matsumoto's mystery and detective fiction solidified his reputation as a writer at home and abroad. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction in addition to mystery/detective fiction.
He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970, as well as the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1957. He chaired the president of Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971.
Credited with popularizing the genre among readers in his country, Matsumoto became his nation's best-selling and highest earning author in the 1960s. His most acclaimed detective novels, including Ten to sen (1958; Points and Lines, 1970); Suna no utsuwa (1961; Inspector Imanishi Investigates, 1989) and Kiri no hata (1961; Pro Bono, 2012), have been translated into a number of languages, including English.
He collaborated with film director Yoshitarō Nomura on adaptations of eight of his novels to film, including Castle of Sand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 654 reviews
April 28, 2024
A completely gripping mix of crime and social commentary set in Japan at the beginning of the 1960s. Seichō Matsumoto’s classic novel offers fascinating insights into Tokyo’s burgeoning avant-garde blended with glimpses of the numerous inequalities of postwar Japan – rural areas in decline, impoverished communities cheek-by-jowl with shiny redeveloped cities profiting from the recent economic upturn. Matsumoto opens with the discovery of the battered body of a man in a Tokyo railway yard. The man’s identity proves challenging to pin down and world-weary, dogged detective Imanishi Eitaro becomes central to the squad assigned to investigate. But this murder sets off a chain of unsettling deaths leaving Imanishi and his colleague Yoshimura Hiroshi embroiled in a highly unusual case - one that has its roots in the dominant attitudes and values of pre- and early postwar Japan.
Beautifully observed, meticulously detailed, with a keen sense of place, Matsumoto’s approach to his material is understated, admirably subtle. Imanishi himself is a sympathetic character: with his love of bonsai, devotion to writing haiku and wonderfully patient wife. Matsumoto uses his middle-aged detective to reflect on generational shifts, contrasting dutiful Imanishi with the younger, so-called ‘generation of the burnt-out ruins’ (yakeatoha) who came of age during WW2. It’s this generation who may be implicated in the crimes Imanishi’s now bent on solving. Crimes and criminals that hark back to the chaos and mass displacement that followed the extensive WW2 bombing of Japan. But, Imanishi suspects, a moment of chaos that may have provided some with a welcome opportunity for reinvention.
His suspicions bring Imanishi into contact with the rising stars of the Nouveau group: avant-garde artists and musicians as well as writers, film-makers and architects. The Nouveau group’s increasing reach and artistic endeavours form the backdrop to Imanishi’s detective work. Matsumoto’s grouping’s not entirely fictional. It’s clearly based on real-life avant-garde groupings prominent in Tokyo during the late 1950s and 1960s: some influenced by Nouvelle Vague, others like performance artist Yoko Ono linked to Germany’s Fluxus, while Group Ongaku’s experimental composers built on concepts like musique concrete. Together they formed a movement that tied cultural output to political activism - although the authenticity of these links comes under intense scrutiny in Matsumoto’s narrative.
Another significant aspect of Matsumoto’s story stems from his wider investment in exposing the flaws and fissures in Japanese society. This time his focus is on discrimination, othering and disability. It’s not possible to say much more about this strand of the novel without giving too much away. But it’s an intriguing representation of the shunning of people with conditions considered somehow ‘karmic,’ popularly interpreted as the result of ‘bad blood’ or past sins. Matsumoto draws from Japanese history, and the prejudice rife in the 1930s, a time when people dealing with particular conditions as well as the poor or homeless were often ostracised, setting out on a form of pilgrimage in a desperate search for a cure or some other kind of relief. Another element that stands out builds on Japan’s newly-formed reputation for the revolutionary, not just in creative terms but also technological, leading to a bizarre discovery that enables Imanishi to solve the puzzle at the heart of this frustrating case. It’s slightly episodic, originally published in instalments, but that works well for the genre, disparate pieces slowly fitted together as the plot unfolds - some sections would work well as short/flash fiction. Translated by Beth Cary.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Penguin for an ARC
Rating: 4.5
Beautifully observed, meticulously detailed, with a keen sense of place, Matsumoto’s approach to his material is understated, admirably subtle. Imanishi himself is a sympathetic character: with his love of bonsai, devotion to writing haiku and wonderfully patient wife. Matsumoto uses his middle-aged detective to reflect on generational shifts, contrasting dutiful Imanishi with the younger, so-called ‘generation of the burnt-out ruins’ (yakeatoha) who came of age during WW2. It’s this generation who may be implicated in the crimes Imanishi’s now bent on solving. Crimes and criminals that hark back to the chaos and mass displacement that followed the extensive WW2 bombing of Japan. But, Imanishi suspects, a moment of chaos that may have provided some with a welcome opportunity for reinvention.
His suspicions bring Imanishi into contact with the rising stars of the Nouveau group: avant-garde artists and musicians as well as writers, film-makers and architects. The Nouveau group’s increasing reach and artistic endeavours form the backdrop to Imanishi’s detective work. Matsumoto’s grouping’s not entirely fictional. It’s clearly based on real-life avant-garde groupings prominent in Tokyo during the late 1950s and 1960s: some influenced by Nouvelle Vague, others like performance artist Yoko Ono linked to Germany’s Fluxus, while Group Ongaku’s experimental composers built on concepts like musique concrete. Together they formed a movement that tied cultural output to political activism - although the authenticity of these links comes under intense scrutiny in Matsumoto’s narrative.
Another significant aspect of Matsumoto’s story stems from his wider investment in exposing the flaws and fissures in Japanese society. This time his focus is on discrimination, othering and disability. It’s not possible to say much more about this strand of the novel without giving too much away. But it’s an intriguing representation of the shunning of people with conditions considered somehow ‘karmic,’ popularly interpreted as the result of ‘bad blood’ or past sins. Matsumoto draws from Japanese history, and the prejudice rife in the 1930s, a time when people dealing with particular conditions as well as the poor or homeless were often ostracised, setting out on a form of pilgrimage in a desperate search for a cure or some other kind of relief. Another element that stands out builds on Japan’s newly-formed reputation for the revolutionary, not just in creative terms but also technological, leading to a bizarre discovery that enables Imanishi to solve the puzzle at the heart of this frustrating case. It’s slightly episodic, originally published in instalments, but that works well for the genre, disparate pieces slowly fitted together as the plot unfolds - some sections would work well as short/flash fiction. Translated by Beth Cary.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Penguin for an ARC
Rating: 4.5
December 11, 2019
A Japanese crime fiction with a lot of various locations for setting. Reading this novel made me want to imagine the sceneries. The story was moving a lot of times into various areas and demographics in Japan: from Western Okayama to Northeast Akita; from modern Tokyo theatres to ancient Ise Shrine; from poor mountain village to elite and intellectual communities.
This story is not only telling police procedural investigation, but also private-eye style investigation of Inspector Imanishi. So, this is not a pure close-room murder. But the mystery is good, and I believe in 1960s the plot twist would be unimaginable.
Imanishi and other characters were written as round characters, and that made this novel more enjoyable than as a pure crime fiction. I prefer to put it into general fiction. I highly recommend it for how the novel picturing the Japanese culture and social life of 1960s. Even the Japanese culture in police force is apparent if you compared it with USA or UK police force fictions.
This story is not only telling police procedural investigation, but also private-eye style investigation of Inspector Imanishi. So, this is not a pure close-room murder. But the mystery is good, and I believe in 1960s the plot twist would be unimaginable.
Imanishi and other characters were written as round characters, and that made this novel more enjoyable than as a pure crime fiction. I prefer to put it into general fiction. I highly recommend it for how the novel picturing the Japanese culture and social life of 1960s. Even the Japanese culture in police force is apparent if you compared it with USA or UK police force fictions.
June 22, 2018
After having really enjoyed Matsumoto's A Quiet Place (my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I was ready to have my mind blown by this... but it wasn't. Possibly that's because the book was written a good 10 years earlier, I'm not sure. And whIle I enjoyed Imanishi's dogged pursuit of clues around 1960s Japan, complete with intentional and unintentional glimpses of Japan's work ethic, sense of personal responsibility and non-existent home-life, something about the mystery rankled.
I think coincidences are like exclamation points; you are allowed one per novel, any more than that and you risk jolting the reader awake from the fictive dream. Well, I was nudged out of that happy place by several: a murder victim happened to live round the corner from our hero, and then another victim happened to have moved into his sister's apartment; a key clue happened to be written on a scrap of paper discovered a few days later on a street by a bus stop, then our hero happened to read a fictional story in the paper which happened to be about one of the murder victims. All very suspicious coincidences if they had happened in a little village, but in megapolis Tokyo? C'mon...
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I think coincidences are like exclamation points; you are allowed one per novel, any more than that and you risk jolting the reader awake from the fictive dream. Well, I was nudged out of that happy place by several: a murder victim happened to live round the corner from our hero, and then another victim happened to have moved into his sister's apartment; a key clue happened to be written on a scrap of paper discovered a few days later on a street by a bus stop, then our hero happened to read a fictional story in the paper which happened to be about one of the murder victims. All very suspicious coincidences if they had happened in a little village, but in megapolis Tokyo? C'mon...
Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with book recommendations galore for the Japanophile, crime-fiction-loving English teacher in all of us.
December 9, 2016
The Castle of Sand (Suna no utsuwa) by Seicho Matasumoto is a surprisingly engaging 4.5 stars read. The book has always been considered by many as Mr. Matsumoto's best novel, and despite of the the 500+ pages of the book, the novelist still managed to construct a solid mystery with vivid characters, believable human dramas and struggle without losing any entertainment value.
The story begins when the body of an unknown old man was discovered in a Tokyo railway station, the victim's face was so badly damaged that police had a hard time only to figure out the victim's identity. Once the victim was finally identified, the police was surprised to learn the victim was a well-respected retired cop who had visibly no enemy. With no suspect, no motive, no evident and no eyewitness being found, the police's investigation quickly met a dead-end.
With the investigation team being disbanded, only two police officers (mostly the memorable Inspector Imanishi) had remained to work on the mystery, and their search eventually leaded them to a group of famous young artists; but what is the link between a retired cop and a group of up-and-coming artists? Who would want to kill a well adored retired man when there is seemingly no motive? Would the police be able to catch up with the murderer before the witnesses were all silent?
The Castle of Sand is not one of those Godlike Detective v.s Superman Murderer 'game of wit' mystery novels (although I enjoy game of wit mystery novels just as fine), the mystery part of this novel is decent enough but there are not many fancy twists and turns; still the author, Seicho Matsumoto masterfully breathed life into his characters (especially Inspector Imanishi and his peers) and he also drew a fine picture of the 1960s Japanese society, which enable us to understand why the murder would take place and also to understand the complicated reasons of why a good-natured man would end up being brutally killed.
I am impressed by how Mr. Matsumoto wrote the two police officers and described how they interacted with their families and coworkers. I also like the pair of police officers are no Godlike Detectives, they are not even outstandingly smart, they are only a pair of ordinary cops who solve their cases with a lot of hard work, careful observation and patience. I especially enjoy a scene with Inspector Imanishi spending a whole day walking along the railway, looking for tiny pieces of evident which might not even be there, it's scenes like this endear the main characters of this book to me.
Through the writing, I come to know what the daily life of the Japanese 1960s working class was like. I'm especially impressed by how Mr. Matsumoto wrote the landscape of the Tōhoku region (North Eastern region of Japan) when one of the officers traveled to a small town in Akita Prefecture to look for clue.
Yes, I had been to Tōhoku region once and Mastumoto's writing makes those North Eastern landscapes come to life before me.
To be honest, some parts of the book are a bit dry and dull, but it is still an breathtaking, touching mystery novel with depth and insight into human nature and suffering. After reading the novel, I'm ready to watch its 1970s movie adaptation.
Information of the 1970 movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_o...
The story begins when the body of an unknown old man was discovered in a Tokyo railway station, the victim's face was so badly damaged that police had a hard time only to figure out the victim's identity. Once the victim was finally identified, the police was surprised to learn the victim was a well-respected retired cop who had visibly no enemy. With no suspect, no motive, no evident and no eyewitness being found, the police's investigation quickly met a dead-end.
With the investigation team being disbanded, only two police officers (mostly the memorable Inspector Imanishi) had remained to work on the mystery, and their search eventually leaded them to a group of famous young artists; but what is the link between a retired cop and a group of up-and-coming artists? Who would want to kill a well adored retired man when there is seemingly no motive? Would the police be able to catch up with the murderer before the witnesses were all silent?
The Castle of Sand is not one of those Godlike Detective v.s Superman Murderer 'game of wit' mystery novels (although I enjoy game of wit mystery novels just as fine), the mystery part of this novel is decent enough but there are not many fancy twists and turns; still the author, Seicho Matsumoto masterfully breathed life into his characters (especially Inspector Imanishi and his peers) and he also drew a fine picture of the 1960s Japanese society, which enable us to understand why the murder would take place and also to understand the complicated reasons of why a good-natured man would end up being brutally killed.
I am impressed by how Mr. Matsumoto wrote the two police officers and described how they interacted with their families and coworkers. I also like the pair of police officers are no Godlike Detectives, they are not even outstandingly smart, they are only a pair of ordinary cops who solve their cases with a lot of hard work, careful observation and patience. I especially enjoy a scene with Inspector Imanishi spending a whole day walking along the railway, looking for tiny pieces of evident which might not even be there, it's scenes like this endear the main characters of this book to me.
Through the writing, I come to know what the daily life of the Japanese 1960s working class was like. I'm especially impressed by how Mr. Matsumoto wrote the landscape of the Tōhoku region (North Eastern region of Japan) when one of the officers traveled to a small town in Akita Prefecture to look for clue.
Yes, I had been to Tōhoku region once and Mastumoto's writing makes those North Eastern landscapes come to life before me.
To be honest, some parts of the book are a bit dry and dull, but it is still an breathtaking, touching mystery novel with depth and insight into human nature and suffering. After reading the novel, I'm ready to watch its 1970s movie adaptation.
Information of the 1970 movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_o...
December 18, 2018
This book has a lot of issues but managed to hold my interest despite dancing dangerously close to a dnf early on.
First off, let me say the kindle edition is full of errors that are obviously due to a print or PDF version of the book being run through optical character recognition software to be converted to ebook. Given that a simple spell check would have turned up almost all of the problems I noticed, it's clear that the publisher made absolutely no effort to produce a quality product and should be ashamed to be asking money for it. Some common examples are "in" frequently appearing as a lone letter "m", or the -san on peoples names frequently becoming a random string of gibberish letters.
As for the story itself, a large chunk of this book would be more appropriately titled Inspector Imanishi Meanders About Aimlessly And Some Clues Fall Into His Lap. Note that the investigation and the story span the better part of a year, and it really feels like more "investigation" happens in the last 20% of the book than all the months and pages that have gone before. So I'd say in terms of pacing and story arc the book is a bit of a mess.
There are some cultural and period quirks that many a 21st century American reader will find startling, such as investigation by letter, and the Inspector's aversion to inconveniencing anyone, including fellow police and the suspects. And yet... at one point early on Imanishi gets a call from the Police Chief of a remote town who basically says some weird guy was wandering around town around when your murder was, but "It's hard to explain in detail over the telephone....", supposedly. So Imanishi and a junior detective travel out to this place by train and the guy basically tells them the same thing as he told them over the phone, only it's dragged out kind of like this:
A: Hmmm. So is that everything?
B: Yeah, that's it.
A: Ok then...
B: Well there's also...
A: Hmmm. So is that everything?
B: Yeah, that's it.
A: Ok then...
B: Well there's also...
A: Hmmm. So is that everything?
B: Yeah, that's it.
A: Ok then...
B: Well there's also...
None of which couldn't have been relayed over the phone and the whole exchange seems designed to provoke Imanishi or the reader into beating the guy to death with a rock.
And when I say trivial:
- A stranger was in town.
- He took a nap in a field.
- He went out at night and stared at some noodles drying on a rack.
- He tipped the maid at the hotel even though he seemed poor.
Like seriously, this couldn't be communicated over the phone and required two cops to travel across country and drag it out of another cop with thumbscrews. <.<
And I'm going to say all the deaths after the initial one are in some part down to Imanishi not sharing information with his team and/or not giving specialists he consults about various thing sufficient context to provide him with useful information or advice.
Before breaking for spoiler bits, because I can't really talk about some things without spoilers, I will say it did somehow manage to be interesting enough to keep me reading, and the means of killing in the later murders was surprisingly interesting, though perhaps not as well prepared for as I'd like and less out there than it would have seemed when the book was originally published. It also gelled for me something I've been circling for a while and that's the realization that I don't like when mysteries cut away from the detective's POV.
While I'm only giving it a 3, it has enough going for it that I may try some of Matsumoto's other works in the future.
Gripes that are spoilers:
First off, let me say the kindle edition is full of errors that are obviously due to a print or PDF version of the book being run through optical character recognition software to be converted to ebook. Given that a simple spell check would have turned up almost all of the problems I noticed, it's clear that the publisher made absolutely no effort to produce a quality product and should be ashamed to be asking money for it. Some common examples are "in" frequently appearing as a lone letter "m", or the -san on peoples names frequently becoming a random string of gibberish letters.
As for the story itself, a large chunk of this book would be more appropriately titled Inspector Imanishi Meanders About Aimlessly And Some Clues Fall Into His Lap. Note that the investigation and the story span the better part of a year, and it really feels like more "investigation" happens in the last 20% of the book than all the months and pages that have gone before. So I'd say in terms of pacing and story arc the book is a bit of a mess.
There are some cultural and period quirks that many a 21st century American reader will find startling, such as investigation by letter, and the Inspector's aversion to inconveniencing anyone, including fellow police and the suspects. And yet... at one point early on Imanishi gets a call from the Police Chief of a remote town who basically says some weird guy was wandering around town around when your murder was, but "It's hard to explain in detail over the telephone....", supposedly. So Imanishi and a junior detective travel out to this place by train and the guy basically tells them the same thing as he told them over the phone, only it's dragged out kind of like this:
A: Hmmm. So is that everything?
B: Yeah, that's it.
A: Ok then...
B: Well there's also...
A: Hmmm. So is that everything?
B: Yeah, that's it.
A: Ok then...
B: Well there's also...
A: Hmmm. So is that everything?
B: Yeah, that's it.
A: Ok then...
B: Well there's also...
None of which couldn't have been relayed over the phone and the whole exchange seems designed to provoke Imanishi or the reader into beating the guy to death with a rock.
And when I say trivial:
- A stranger was in town.
- He took a nap in a field.
- He went out at night and stared at some noodles drying on a rack.
- He tipped the maid at the hotel even though he seemed poor.
Like seriously, this couldn't be communicated over the phone and required two cops to travel across country and drag it out of another cop with thumbscrews. <.<
And I'm going to say all the deaths after the initial one are in some part down to Imanishi not sharing information with his team and/or not giving specialists he consults about various thing sufficient context to provide him with useful information or advice.
Before breaking for spoiler bits, because I can't really talk about some things without spoilers, I will say it did somehow manage to be interesting enough to keep me reading, and the means of killing in the later murders was surprisingly interesting, though perhaps not as well prepared for as I'd like and less out there than it would have seemed when the book was originally published. It also gelled for me something I've been circling for a while and that's the realization that I don't like when mysteries cut away from the detective's POV.
While I'm only giving it a 3, it has enough going for it that I may try some of Matsumoto's other works in the future.
Gripes that are spoilers:
October 18, 2015
Excellent, smart, intricately constructed, seamlessly translated, police procedural, by the dean of postwar Japanese mystery writers.
December 29, 2017
Finally finished this one. Not a book I could read straight off! In fact, I think I paused after each 3 or 4 chapters and left it for awhile. It's hard work. Not only the surnames and groupings, but also within the context of Japanese mores and myriads of locations during the latest years of the 1950's. Quite a different Japan from today completely across the boards, and one that has a rather unique detective/ Homicide Dept approach, as well.
If given a chance to give a star rating at the 1/2 way point, I would be hard pressed to mount a 3.
But the last quarter of the book made up for it. It was especially good in approximation of the details to how all the history had gone down, and also sublime to the mood of Imanishi as he finally turned the corner to some correct answers after all the months and months of inquiry and travel. This is his "one that got away" case and the one in which he and his district group were self-deemed "failure".
At points I thought it supremely simplistic and childishly naive to how a coroner declared the cause of death and other medical and scientific issues. But it turns out, I was wrong about that aspect and didn't even see the weapon.
Women have their completely traditional gender "roles" here. Even those bar hostesses and clerks with jobs. And the address and formal parts of interchange are those of past Japan, although still with remnants of WWII voids in domicile records and citizens' documented proofs. And there is a strange, strange pattern too of so many deaths of those under 40 or just past it. As if 30 different people, with not a one getting to 60 is "norm".
But this takes a bunch of patience. It's like reading much more verbose and overblown Russian classics in abbreviated sentence length. The names are nearly impossible. And he is always moving to NE or W Japan for inquiries and then yet AGAIN, comes three or 6 more locations all starting with the letter K and four more individuals' names all starting with the letter T. Not easy to follow and with so much repetition to a particular fact (the bloody shirt not working on a train or any public exposure method being one of those that was mentioned at least 50 times) or to a physical description? Because of that I would say it is almost at a cozy read level, but its as if you needed to use another type of alphabet to get there. And here I am, a reader who is stuck with only the 26 letters that I connote well.
But you do get to know Imanishi and his wife and her sister down to personality quirks. (Although the way he tells her to polish his shoes and get his green tea poured over rice just right, really did grate on me after awhile. Obviously hers is the fate to wait and to serve.) And yet, I would read the next one, but give it tons of time with easier reads around it. It can get quite tedious, be warned. I almost gave it 3 stars. But the last quarter did make me round it up. This is far better than his short stories, IMHO.
If given a chance to give a star rating at the 1/2 way point, I would be hard pressed to mount a 3.
But the last quarter of the book made up for it. It was especially good in approximation of the details to how all the history had gone down, and also sublime to the mood of Imanishi as he finally turned the corner to some correct answers after all the months and months of inquiry and travel. This is his "one that got away" case and the one in which he and his district group were self-deemed "failure".
At points I thought it supremely simplistic and childishly naive to how a coroner declared the cause of death and other medical and scientific issues. But it turns out, I was wrong about that aspect and didn't even see the weapon.
Women have their completely traditional gender "roles" here. Even those bar hostesses and clerks with jobs. And the address and formal parts of interchange are those of past Japan, although still with remnants of WWII voids in domicile records and citizens' documented proofs. And there is a strange, strange pattern too of so many deaths of those under 40 or just past it. As if 30 different people, with not a one getting to 60 is "norm".
But this takes a bunch of patience. It's like reading much more verbose and overblown Russian classics in abbreviated sentence length. The names are nearly impossible. And he is always moving to NE or W Japan for inquiries and then yet AGAIN, comes three or 6 more locations all starting with the letter K and four more individuals' names all starting with the letter T. Not easy to follow and with so much repetition to a particular fact (the bloody shirt not working on a train or any public exposure method being one of those that was mentioned at least 50 times) or to a physical description? Because of that I would say it is almost at a cozy read level, but its as if you needed to use another type of alphabet to get there. And here I am, a reader who is stuck with only the 26 letters that I connote well.
But you do get to know Imanishi and his wife and her sister down to personality quirks. (Although the way he tells her to polish his shoes and get his green tea poured over rice just right, really did grate on me after awhile. Obviously hers is the fate to wait and to serve.) And yet, I would read the next one, but give it tons of time with easier reads around it. It can get quite tedious, be warned. I almost gave it 3 stars. But the last quarter did make me round it up. This is far better than his short stories, IMHO.
June 21, 2018
This was written in 1961. Plotwise, it's very complicated and tightly-woven, replete with subtle clues and red herrings. But stylistically, it's plodding. Probably due to the translation, the writing is choppy and repetitive. And perhaps because of the culture, perhaps because of the period, the process of investigation is laughable at times. Examples: the overheard word "Kameda" is instantly assumed - for no apparent reason - to be a person, and the police proceed to look for such a person, assuming he's in Japan; when Imanishi talks to a very guilty-acting suspect, he allows the man to tell the police what he knows the next day, instead of taking him into custody then and there. In short, some of the investigating is carried out as if a mentally challenged and exceptionally naive five-year-old is at the helm. But overall, it comes through with an intricate murder scheme and some subtle police work. And it's also intriguing as a diary of Japanese thought and cultural activity of the time.
April 26, 2025
This book about the investigations of Inspector Imanishi takes place in Japan in the year 1960, so is not only a murder / mystery story but also provides an insight into Japanese culture just 15 years after the end of World War II.
More than most murder / mystery stories Inspector Imanishi eats a lot of varieties of food in many types of restaurant. His investigations cover most of Honshu island and not many of his travels appear productive until some clues provide a thread that the inspector unravels to show that a character introduced towards the beginning of the book is the murderer. Most of the characters are deferential towards Imanishi though he does take his own wife for granted, even spending some of her savings to travel during a long weekend when he feels he won't be able to claim the trip on work expenses. She is very tolerant of his work hours and his rudeness towards her.
The story is excellent and there isn't an excess of flowery descriptions, just enough to establish how different characters are from Imanishi.
More than most murder / mystery stories Inspector Imanishi eats a lot of varieties of food in many types of restaurant. His investigations cover most of Honshu island and not many of his travels appear productive until some clues provide a thread that the inspector unravels to show that a character introduced towards the beginning of the book is the murderer. Most of the characters are deferential towards Imanishi though he does take his own wife for granted, even spending some of her savings to travel during a long weekend when he feels he won't be able to claim the trip on work expenses. She is very tolerant of his work hours and his rudeness towards her.
The story is excellent and there isn't an excess of flowery descriptions, just enough to establish how different characters are from Imanishi.
November 10, 2012
Inspector Imanishi Investigates? Yes he does. Even on bank holidays. He takes annual leave ... in order to investigate. He spends his wife's savings on investigating.
In the best traditions of these fictional detectives, Imanishi has annoying hobbies that have to be mentioned in every other chapter. His are haiku and bonsai. Yawn. It reminds me of a scene from the best TV comedy ever written, 'Spaced':
"Come up with any exciting literary characters lately?"
"Yeah, actually, yes. 'Dizzy Steinway'."
"I like it. I like it! What is she, some sort of crimebusting jazz singer?"
"No, actually it's the name I'm using to sign on."
"Mr Sekjigawa Shigeo will leave for Paris on an Air France flight on December 25th ..." I was at departures in Narita on 25th December one year! It was very busy, and we all watched Kojima Yoshio on the TVs around the lounges. The Air France flight to Paris was called and almost everyone boarded. I can't remember the exact figure but it was 11 or 15 left for the British Airways flight to London. On a 747! We're not talking about my carbon footprint.
In the best traditions of these fictional detectives, Imanishi has annoying hobbies that have to be mentioned in every other chapter. His are haiku and bonsai. Yawn. It reminds me of a scene from the best TV comedy ever written, 'Spaced':
"Come up with any exciting literary characters lately?"
"Yeah, actually, yes. 'Dizzy Steinway'."
"I like it. I like it! What is she, some sort of crimebusting jazz singer?"
"No, actually it's the name I'm using to sign on."
"Mr Sekjigawa Shigeo will leave for Paris on an Air France flight on December 25th ..." I was at departures in Narita on 25th December one year! It was very busy, and we all watched Kojima Yoshio on the TVs around the lounges. The Air France flight to Paris was called and almost everyone boarded. I can't remember the exact figure but it was 11 or 15 left for the British Airways flight to London. On a 747! We're not talking about my carbon footprint.
August 16, 2022
Really enjoyed this. I've read a few Japanese mysteries. Some I have enjoyed, others not so much. This was my first by Seichō Matsumoto.
Totally missed the killer so he fooled me.
An old man is found strangled and beaten underneath a train ready to pull out in a few hours. This gives the police several mysteries - who is the man and who is the killer. They were overheard in a bar talking in a certain accent - not a Tokyo accent, which is where the man was found. So the third mystery is what this accent was.
I had one problem with this book - it was an abrupt ending, at least to these Western eyes. But it was good. More of a police procedural, I suppose.
Totally missed the killer so he fooled me.
An old man is found strangled and beaten underneath a train ready to pull out in a few hours. This gives the police several mysteries - who is the man and who is the killer. They were overheard in a bar talking in a certain accent - not a Tokyo accent, which is where the man was found. So the third mystery is what this accent was.
I had one problem with this book - it was an abrupt ending, at least to these Western eyes. But it was good. More of a police procedural, I suppose.
January 2, 2017
The original title of this novel should be 'The Vessel of Sand', I didn't know that it was renamed 'Inspector Imanishi Investigates' when the book was translated into English.
Updated@02/01/2017:
The English version of this story is much difficult to read because the text contents so many names for locations, towns and train lines. But I'm still deeply impressed by how Mr. Matsumoto managed to capture the outlook of the Japanese society in the 1960s and the details of these characters' lives.
Updated@02/01/2017:
The English version of this story is much difficult to read because the text contents so many names for locations, towns and train lines. But I'm still deeply impressed by how Mr. Matsumoto managed to capture the outlook of the Japanese society in the 1960s and the details of these characters' lives.
June 1, 2025
Uhhhhh how do i review this book without spoiling the story cuz I'm obsessed with this one!!!! This is to me the perfect blend of murder mystery classics in all of its intricacies and detailed investigation, one that I loveeee when it came to mystery. Its not simple, its hard, its relentless in its pursuance of the case with a detective that is grumpy but very persistent. I didnt enjoy Tokyo Express much but i ABSOLUTELY ENAMORED with this one. Thats how much I love this book
A great classics murder mystery are ones that kept me invested with the story, characters & gets me thinking about it even in my sleep. Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Beth Cary is exactly that. Its detailed procedural investigation by our main character, Eitaro Imanishi in his persistence in pursuing the murder case of a man brutally murdered, leaving his face unrecognizable as his body was found at the Kamata Station's railroad. The violent opening to the murder scene sets off a crime investigation only with 2 leads - witness to the victim & unknown man spoken a distinctive accent & a word called 'kameda' arisen in the conversation. Such were the start to unsurprisingly, a slow, unravelling journey across Japan for this murder case by Imanishi. A clue led both him & his younger partner, Yoshimura to a town, Ugo Kameda where the villagers spotted a strange man & upon boarding the traim back to Tokyo, they encountered the avantgarde Nouveau Group - a radical thinking groups consisted of young men with progressive ideas from composers, novelist, artists, musicians, poets, all sorts of smart, talented people. With each steps taken & puzzles pieces formed, Imanishi found more unlikely connection to this group
For a start, this book get me so invested from the beginning to the end, I dont want the book to finish but the need to know was stronger as I read. Rather than a shocking revelation or plot twists, the painstaking investigation approach by interviewing witnesses, procuring records of residences, background family check, moving from places to places to find clues, the relentless pursuit of evidence with meticulous precision, the unexpected clues you may found through reading or by chance, they were all very fascinating to dissect as we go through all of these with Imanishi. Despite the slowness, the repetition of methods, the rechecking for information, it prove to be a well thought & well paid discovery bcus each clues led to the bigger picture, forming a complete puzzle. The story also explored on the Japanese dialects, context on Japanese culture, showcased the poverty faced by the countryside as the detectives visited the more impoverished side of Japan, aftereffects of war, mistreatment on the diseased.
As a self-proclaimed murder mystery afficionado, I will say this is one of the best murder mystery I have read & wished I could reread it again just because I learned so much on Japan's places since Imanishi moved around a lot by trains, describing the places he went to with atmospheric descriptions. With interest for haiku, his gruff character towards his wife but with a keen mind of a detective made him such a brilliant investigator as he pieced the puzzles one by one
Thank u to Times Reads for the review copy
A great classics murder mystery are ones that kept me invested with the story, characters & gets me thinking about it even in my sleep. Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Beth Cary is exactly that. Its detailed procedural investigation by our main character, Eitaro Imanishi in his persistence in pursuing the murder case of a man brutally murdered, leaving his face unrecognizable as his body was found at the Kamata Station's railroad. The violent opening to the murder scene sets off a crime investigation only with 2 leads - witness to the victim & unknown man spoken a distinctive accent & a word called 'kameda' arisen in the conversation. Such were the start to unsurprisingly, a slow, unravelling journey across Japan for this murder case by Imanishi. A clue led both him & his younger partner, Yoshimura to a town, Ugo Kameda where the villagers spotted a strange man & upon boarding the traim back to Tokyo, they encountered the avantgarde Nouveau Group - a radical thinking groups consisted of young men with progressive ideas from composers, novelist, artists, musicians, poets, all sorts of smart, talented people. With each steps taken & puzzles pieces formed, Imanishi found more unlikely connection to this group
For a start, this book get me so invested from the beginning to the end, I dont want the book to finish but the need to know was stronger as I read. Rather than a shocking revelation or plot twists, the painstaking investigation approach by interviewing witnesses, procuring records of residences, background family check, moving from places to places to find clues, the relentless pursuit of evidence with meticulous precision, the unexpected clues you may found through reading or by chance, they were all very fascinating to dissect as we go through all of these with Imanishi. Despite the slowness, the repetition of methods, the rechecking for information, it prove to be a well thought & well paid discovery bcus each clues led to the bigger picture, forming a complete puzzle. The story also explored on the Japanese dialects, context on Japanese culture, showcased the poverty faced by the countryside as the detectives visited the more impoverished side of Japan, aftereffects of war, mistreatment on the diseased.
As a self-proclaimed murder mystery afficionado, I will say this is one of the best murder mystery I have read & wished I could reread it again just because I learned so much on Japan's places since Imanishi moved around a lot by trains, describing the places he went to with atmospheric descriptions. With interest for haiku, his gruff character towards his wife but with a keen mind of a detective made him such a brilliant investigator as he pieced the puzzles one by one
Thank u to Times Reads for the review copy
November 29, 2022
Wasn't sure what to think about this one at first, suspecting it might be a bit daunting. In one sense it was as I had some trouble telling the characters apart, Western bias not writer's failure to distinguish them. Also, there's one plot point (coincidence) that obviously exists to enable Imanishi to gather information.
On one level I suppose it is a plodding police procedural. However, we also get a look into Imanishi's personal life as well, so that it's not just totally "the facts ma'am" (from Dragnet). It would help to be familiar with Japanese geography, especially the city of Tokyo's neighborhoods, but the book was written for a Japanese audience, so it's not a flaw.
I would almost call it a classic of Japanese literature in the sense that the story captures the post-war westernization experience so well. There are beatnik-type characters integral to the plot, as well as a sort of Cold War subplot, foreshadowing the situation of foreign diplomats who become mysteriously ill at overseas postings decades later.
I'm not that familiar with Japanese society to be certain, but the book highlights the regional differences to an extent that has been lost over the years, similar to other countries like the USA and UK. Imanishi and his sidekick Yoshimura are often amazed when traveling to rural areas a day or two away by train in order to gather information. Part of the solution is related to geographic distribution of accents as well.
Final thought is that I'm sorry there are not other books featuring Imanishi and Yoshimura. I am, however, grateful that there are several other titles by the author available in English.
On one level I suppose it is a plodding police procedural. However, we also get a look into Imanishi's personal life as well, so that it's not just totally "the facts ma'am" (from Dragnet). It would help to be familiar with Japanese geography, especially the city of Tokyo's neighborhoods, but the book was written for a Japanese audience, so it's not a flaw.
I would almost call it a classic of Japanese literature in the sense that the story captures the post-war westernization experience so well. There are beatnik-type characters integral to the plot, as well as a sort of Cold War subplot, foreshadowing the situation of foreign diplomats who become mysteriously ill at overseas postings decades later.
I'm not that familiar with Japanese society to be certain, but the book highlights the regional differences to an extent that has been lost over the years, similar to other countries like the USA and UK. Imanishi and his sidekick Yoshimura are often amazed when traveling to rural areas a day or two away by train in order to gather information. Part of the solution is related to geographic distribution of accents as well.
Final thought is that I'm sorry there are not other books featuring Imanishi and Yoshimura. I am, however, grateful that there are several other titles by the author available in English.
January 5, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this novel. I liked very much the way it was written and the aspects of Japanese life depicted in the book. The murder investigation was also very entertaining and as it usually happens at least in the Japanese novels I have read, the way the case appears is different from Western novels. However, I found the relationship between the inspector and his wife hard to stomach sometimes. He was extremely devoted to his job and practically ignored her most of the time. I understand that the novel was written a long time ago and that was probably the way many couples behaved then.
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www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
November 1, 2021
Un’indagine complessa porta l’ispettore Imahishi a recarsi in zone remote del Giappone. Tanti personaggi, l’omicidio di uno sconosciuto, altre morti che sembrano casuali, ma che sono tessere di un puzzle che Imahishi risolverà con la sua proverbiale minuziosità e pazienza
January 24, 2023
From a bloodied victim found under a train to a man died at the roadside, a suicide and miscarriage turns into a murder scene; the premise brought me into a knotty, ingenious and cunningly plotted crime with both whodunnit and howdunnit mysteries that was set in an appealing post-war backdrop around the 50s-60s era.
Narrated in multiple perspectives with bit of noir hue, I followed Chief Inspector Imanishi in his adventure to unravel the complex, serial and twisty case that was dragged for months due to its unidentified first victim, limited hints and unreliable witnesses. Love how thorough it goes although the slow-burn progress making it a bit draggy and repetitive at times. As the investigation mostly executed through Imanishi’s hunch and curiosity, his determination was admirable and intriguing much to me despite few coincidental scenes felt quite unreasonable and too abrupt.
Clever and helpful Yoshimura, another detective who helps Imanishi a lot; I enjoyed their interaction and those secret meetings at bars to discuss about the case, collecting clues or even for a small talk. Minimal thrills and suspense yet loving how the plotline balancing the investigation part with its societal and domestic commentaries, on culture and literature, political as well as an exploration on the public perspective towards the social classes.
Bit intense in the last chapter, the revelation was fairly compelling; inventive which amazed me much but still I find it as decent compared to other crime and detective fictions that I have read so far. Somehow Imanishi’s anxiety gets the plot goes a bit engrossing making me hooked until the end. Too bad that this was only a one-off detective fiction as I think I would go reading another Imanishi if it were written in series. 3.7 stars to this!
Narrated in multiple perspectives with bit of noir hue, I followed Chief Inspector Imanishi in his adventure to unravel the complex, serial and twisty case that was dragged for months due to its unidentified first victim, limited hints and unreliable witnesses. Love how thorough it goes although the slow-burn progress making it a bit draggy and repetitive at times. As the investigation mostly executed through Imanishi’s hunch and curiosity, his determination was admirable and intriguing much to me despite few coincidental scenes felt quite unreasonable and too abrupt.
Clever and helpful Yoshimura, another detective who helps Imanishi a lot; I enjoyed their interaction and those secret meetings at bars to discuss about the case, collecting clues or even for a small talk. Minimal thrills and suspense yet loving how the plotline balancing the investigation part with its societal and domestic commentaries, on culture and literature, political as well as an exploration on the public perspective towards the social classes.
Bit intense in the last chapter, the revelation was fairly compelling; inventive which amazed me much but still I find it as decent compared to other crime and detective fictions that I have read so far. Somehow Imanishi’s anxiety gets the plot goes a bit engrossing making me hooked until the end. Too bad that this was only a one-off detective fiction as I think I would go reading another Imanishi if it were written in series. 3.7 stars to this!
June 4, 2021
This was charming in a “historical artifact” sort of way, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it.
It is very slow paced mystery, with Inspector Imanishi taking trains, buses, and taxis all over Japan to ask people a few questions here and there. I was not familiar enough with Japanese geography to keep track of where he went which made things difficult for me. I had no sense of direction or distance, and various accents held no meaning for me. I should’ve taken notes!
The dialogue is very flat and stilted in the English translation:
Some cultural differences made things confusing for me. It appeared that Imanishi did not get weekends off, he worked nonstop and rarely spent time with his wife, who never seemed to express any unhappiness with the situation. He took many trips around the country in the course of his investigation, but he paid for most of them with his own money because he felt guilty using department funds. Meanwhile, they didn’t have enough money saved up to install their own bathroom.
Arrests are exceedingly polite. Prior to apprehending the murder suspect, the police officer approaches him with “I’m sorry to disturb you. Please pardon me.”. I mean, can you imagine Dennis Franz saying something like that on NYPD Blue?! LOL no!
Much of the story is charmingly dated. The investigation proceeds by poring through old hand written books and sending off letters of inquiry. Telephones are rarely used. The murder method, when it’s discovered, is a sort of retro sci fi affair,
I was surprised that the investigation didn’t go into overdrive when they discovered that the murder victim was a former policeman.
A lot of the details were superfluous. I thought they were all going to add up to something, but instead, they were all just interesting things that happened along the way. It’s not really a spoiler, unless you don’t want to know what will not be important.
It is very slow paced mystery, with Inspector Imanishi taking trains, buses, and taxis all over Japan to ask people a few questions here and there. I was not familiar enough with Japanese geography to keep track of where he went which made things difficult for me. I had no sense of direction or distance, and various accents held no meaning for me. I should’ve taken notes!
The dialogue is very flat and stilted in the English translation:
Imanishi arrived at Osaka Station at eight-thirty the next morning. At the police box he asked for directions to Ebisu-cho in Naniwa Ward. The policeman turned around to look at a large map on the wall.
“That’s west of Tennoji Park, mister,” he said in a thick Osaka accent.
“Is the ward office near there as well?”
“It’s about five hundred yards to the north.”
Imanishi hailed a taxi that drove south through Osaka’s morning air.
“Driver, where is the Naniwa Ward Office?” Imanishi asked as they started up Tennoji hill.
“The Naniwa Ward Office is that building you can see over there.” The taxi driver had a thick Osaka accent as well.
Imanishi looked at his watch. It was ten minutes before nine. The ward office would not be open.
“Mister, do you want to stop at the ward office?”
“No, I’ll do that later.”
Some cultural differences made things confusing for me. It appeared that Imanishi did not get weekends off, he worked nonstop and rarely spent time with his wife, who never seemed to express any unhappiness with the situation. He took many trips around the country in the course of his investigation, but he paid for most of them with his own money because he felt guilty using department funds. Meanwhile, they didn’t have enough money saved up to install their own bathroom.
Arrests are exceedingly polite. Prior to apprehending the murder suspect, the police officer approaches him with “I’m sorry to disturb you. Please pardon me.”. I mean, can you imagine Dennis Franz saying something like that on NYPD Blue?! LOL no!
Much of the story is charmingly dated. The investigation proceeds by poring through old hand written books and sending off letters of inquiry. Telephones are rarely used. The murder method, when it’s discovered, is a sort of retro sci fi affair,
I was surprised that the investigation didn’t go into overdrive when they discovered that the murder victim was a former policeman.
A lot of the details were superfluous. I thought they were all going to add up to something, but instead, they were all just interesting things that happened along the way. It’s not really a spoiler, unless you don’t want to know what will not be important.
June 26, 2016
In the wee hours of a Tokyo morning, well before dawn, a dead body is found under a stationary train, its face bashed so badly as to prevent all identification. The Homicide Division of Tokyo Metropolitan Police is put on the case, and a clue surfaces: an old man, overheard talking in a distinctive accent to a young man. Inspector Imanishi leaves his beloved bonsai and his haiku and goes off by train with his young colleague, Yoshimura, to investigate—and runs up against a blank wall. Two months pass in fruitless questioning, in following up of leads, and then the case, because it cannot be kept open indefinitely, is closed, still unsolved.
But Imanishi is dissatisfied, and a series of coincidences, of things suddenly falling into place, of memories jogged, of details noticed, lead him back to the case. Why did a young woman scatter, confetti-like, pieces of white paper out of the window of a train? Why did a bar girl shift home right after Imanishi spoke to her? Why did a theatre actor, on the verge of telling Imanishi something important, drop dead of a heart attack? What can a group of avant garde young artists, architects, critics, composers, etc possibly have to do with the murder of a quiet and ‘saintly’ provincial old ex-policemen? Inspector Imanishi investigates.
Matsumoto Seicho’s Inspector Imanishi Investigates is a page-turner. The narrative switches between Imanishi’s investigation on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the members of the Nouveau Group, especially the young men Sekigawa and Waga, and the women involved with them: Emiko and Sachiko. There is definitely something fishy here, in the behaviour of the men, in their past—but who, if it is one of them, is the murderer? And what could possibly be the motive? The pace is fast, the intricacy of the plot superb.
Besides the fact that it’s an excellent police procedural, the other thing I really liked about Inspector Imanishi Investigates was the insight into the Japan of the 50s: an interesting combination of modern and old, of east and west. A country still recovering from the war, and with the scars of the war far from healed. A country, too, that is torn between its past and its present.
I did think the language a little stilted at times, though I’m not sure—since I don’t know Japanese, and therefore can’t read the original—whether this is a reflection of the original style, or that of the translator.
But Imanishi is dissatisfied, and a series of coincidences, of things suddenly falling into place, of memories jogged, of details noticed, lead him back to the case. Why did a young woman scatter, confetti-like, pieces of white paper out of the window of a train? Why did a bar girl shift home right after Imanishi spoke to her? Why did a theatre actor, on the verge of telling Imanishi something important, drop dead of a heart attack? What can a group of avant garde young artists, architects, critics, composers, etc possibly have to do with the murder of a quiet and ‘saintly’ provincial old ex-policemen? Inspector Imanishi investigates.
Matsumoto Seicho’s Inspector Imanishi Investigates is a page-turner. The narrative switches between Imanishi’s investigation on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the members of the Nouveau Group, especially the young men Sekigawa and Waga, and the women involved with them: Emiko and Sachiko. There is definitely something fishy here, in the behaviour of the men, in their past—but who, if it is one of them, is the murderer? And what could possibly be the motive? The pace is fast, the intricacy of the plot superb.
Besides the fact that it’s an excellent police procedural, the other thing I really liked about Inspector Imanishi Investigates was the insight into the Japan of the 50s: an interesting combination of modern and old, of east and west. A country still recovering from the war, and with the scars of the war far from healed. A country, too, that is torn between its past and its present.
I did think the language a little stilted at times, though I’m not sure—since I don’t know Japanese, and therefore can’t read the original—whether this is a reflection of the original style, or that of the translator.
March 26, 2023
I went on a Seichō Matsumoto binge after i, just by chance, bought one of his novels. I have always enjoyed reading Japanese mysteries and thrillers, and Matsumoto was a precursor of all the Japanese greats in that field today.
One of the biggest features of the three novels by him that I've read so far is that there's also a psychological and social insight into the Japanese society. The books are always related to crime, but even as we follow in the footsteps of the investigator or the criminal, we also get a peek into the social and psychological pressures as well as mores of the society of the time when Matsumoto was writing.
Inspector Imanishi Investigates is a classic whodunnit in its structure, one which is deviously complex in its execution and moves between the past and the present as well as various geographical areas of the country. One might need to keep a note of the various characters that are a part of this novel to avoid confusion (at least that's what I did). Wholeheartedly recommending all his English translations to readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers.
One of the biggest features of the three novels by him that I've read so far is that there's also a psychological and social insight into the Japanese society. The books are always related to crime, but even as we follow in the footsteps of the investigator or the criminal, we also get a peek into the social and psychological pressures as well as mores of the society of the time when Matsumoto was writing.
Inspector Imanishi Investigates is a classic whodunnit in its structure, one which is deviously complex in its execution and moves between the past and the present as well as various geographical areas of the country. One might need to keep a note of the various characters that are a part of this novel to avoid confusion (at least that's what I did). Wholeheartedly recommending all his English translations to readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers.
October 10, 2020
Devo dire che dopo un certo numero di anni, solo alcuni - pochissimi - libri invecchiano bene e diventano dei classici, ma che, a mio modesto parere, non è il caso di questo libro. È vero che l'ispettore Eitarô Imanishi potrebbe considerarsi il Maigret giapponese - il suo modo di investigare mi è sembrato simile a quello del poliziotto creato dalla penna di Simenon - e infatti a me Maigret non piace più di tanto.
Poi io sono poco filonipponica, mi spiace, e mi confondo da morire con i nomi giapponesi, per cui seguire le indagini è stato piuttosto arduo.
In realtà si capiva benissimo chi era il colpevole, ma Imanishi è andato alla ricerca del movente indagando per tutto il Giappone. Anche per questo motivo il libro è stato un po' ostico per me, perché - mea culpa - non capisco un acca della geografia nipponica...
Poi io sono poco filonipponica, mi spiace, e mi confondo da morire con i nomi giapponesi, per cui seguire le indagini è stato piuttosto arduo.
In realtà si capiva benissimo chi era il colpevole, ma Imanishi è andato alla ricerca del movente indagando per tutto il Giappone. Anche per questo motivo il libro è stato un po' ostico per me, perché - mea culpa - non capisco un acca della geografia nipponica...
January 19, 2024
Realmente adictiva, me gusta especialmente la novela negra japonesa, suelen ser relatos muy descriptivos que lejos de hacerlos pesados hacen que te involucres mas en el relato, en este caso el autor consigue que seas una parte mas en la investigación, está redactado de una forma muy sencilla aunque el relato sea complejo y original, y la tensión siempre va en aumento hasta su culmen; también como suele ser habitual en las novelas japonesas los trenes siempre están presentes. Otro dato destacable es que la novela original es del año 1961 pero en ningun momento se siente desfasada ni en ritmo ni en historia respecto a las novelas actuales. Muy recomendable tanto la novela como el autor del que ya había leído El expreso de Tokio y tambien me gustó mucho
July 1, 2016
This book was picked up because I didn't have a book to read and it ended up sucking me in completely. From the depth of the characters, the twists and turns of the plot, and the stunning descriptions of Japanese landscapes and culture made this book a joy to read. Intriguing to the last, if you like noir type murder mysteries with a fantastic cast of characters, then READ IT. It opened my eyes to Japanese crime novels and I fear I may be hooked.
June 6, 2025
fun read but I think I enjoyed Tokyo Express more!
August 29, 2025
Disfruté muchísimo este libro. Hubieron algunas cosas que no me cerraron del todo o no se cuan necesarias eran pero puede ser que en una investigación no todo es necesario, sino que hay que lograr localizar lo importante. (4.5)
May 25, 2017
Сейчо Матсумото е един от най-известните писатели и популяризатори на криминалния жанр в Япония през шейсетте години на миналия век. Написал над 450 произведения, редица от тях филмирани и преведени на много езици. „Пясъчният замък“ (Суна но утсува) – оригиналното заглавие, подхождащо много повече на романа от комерсиалния превод „Инспектор Иманаши разследва“ – е смятан за един от върховете в писателската му кариера.
Пълнокръвните герои от различни възрасти и социални прослойки и многообразните локации в които се развива действието (от Окаяма на запад, до Акита на североизток и от модерно Токио, до затънтен будистки храм в планината Иса) почти успяват да изкарат романа от жанровата и да го вкарат във високата литература. През продължаващото месеци разследване, читателя се запознава с една различна Япония, не модерния технологичен гигант, не нихилистичната загубила войната страна, не древната жестока земя на самураите, а отърсващата се от старите окови и смело правеща нови крачки страна на прехода. Визия, която бива допълнително обогатена и от самите герои в драмата, чиито съдби по един или друг начин показват човешки аналози на промените в държавата.
Инспектор Иманаши е симпатичен детектив от старото поколение, отдаден на работата си. В свободното си време обича да пише хайку, да отглежда бонзаи и да харчи парите на жена си за глупости. Когато намират неидентифициран труп под един вагон на токийската гара случаят изглежда неразрешим. Инспекторът с бавни и методични действия, напомнящи много повече разследване на частен детектив, от колкото на полицейски инспектор, и в продължение на месеци успява да го разплете, ловейки нишки буквално от въздуха и самофинансирайки действията си(нали казах за парите на жена му, направо героиня). Разследването го среща с различни хора от Ноева груп (де да знам така ли се чете от френски) – надъхани джентълмени от всички сфери на културата, амбицирани да вкарат Япония в модерния свят, до стар пишещ хайку занаятчия произвеждащ ръчно сметала.
Авторът използва всички номера на жанра, заблуждавайки детектива и читателите си с много обрати, мистерии и привидно случайни събития, като бавно го води до взривяваща кулминация.
Хареса ми много, въпреки дървения превод. Въпреки прекаленото разтягане на сюжета на места, с цел по-пълнокръвна картина на Япония от 60-те, което е нетипично за жанра, но от друга страна го прави класно четиво. Определено ще погледна още някое от по-известните произведения на автора, стига да го докопам на разбираем език.
Пълнокръвните герои от различни възрасти и социални прослойки и многообразните локации в които се развива действието (от Окаяма на запад, до Акита на североизток и от модерно Токио, до затънтен будистки храм в планината Иса) почти успяват да изкарат романа от жанровата и да го вкарат във високата литература. През продължаващото месеци разследване, читателя се запознава с една различна Япония, не модерния технологичен гигант, не нихилистичната загубила войната страна, не древната жестока земя на самураите, а отърсващата се от старите окови и смело правеща нови крачки страна на прехода. Визия, която бива допълнително обогатена и от самите герои в драмата, чиито съдби по един или друг начин показват човешки аналози на промените в държавата.
Инспектор Иманаши е симпатичен детектив от старото поколение, отдаден на работата си. В свободното си време обича да пише хайку, да отглежда бонзаи и да харчи парите на жена си за глупости. Когато намират неидентифициран труп под един вагон на токийската гара случаят изглежда неразрешим. Инспекторът с бавни и методични действия, напомнящи много повече разследване на частен детектив, от колкото на полицейски инспектор, и в продължение на месеци успява да го разплете, ловейки нишки буквално от въздуха и самофинансирайки действията си(нали казах за парите на жена му, направо героиня). Разследването го среща с различни хора от Ноева груп (де да знам така ли се чете от френски) – надъхани джентълмени от всички сфери на културата, амбицирани да вкарат Япония в модерния свят, до стар пишещ хайку занаятчия произвеждащ ръчно сметала.
Авторът използва всички номера на жанра, заблуждавайки детектива и читателите си с много обрати, мистерии и привидно случайни събития, като бавно го води до взривяваща кулминация.
Хареса ми много, въпреки дървения превод. Въпреки прекаленото разтягане на сюжета на места, с цел по-пълнокръвна картина на Япония от 60-те, което е нетипично за жанра, но от друга страна го прави класно четиво. Определено ще погледна още някое от по-известните произведения на автора, стига да го докопам на разбираем език.
March 22, 2020
Inspector Imanishi Investigates is my first exposure to the writing of Japanese author, Seichō Matsumoto. Inspector Imanishi is a police inspector in Tokyo and is assigned to the investigation of a body found on the railroad tracks. The individual has been beaten to death and there are no indications of his identity.
Thus begins an interesting investigation that will take Imanishi around Japan as he tries to ascertain who the victim was and who might have killed him. It's a slow methodical approach and gradually the investigation is forced to wind down. But over the months Imanishi and another inspector from another division, Yoshimura, continue to gather clues that will help them solve the crime.
The story is more than just an investigation. We get excellent pictures Japanese culture, we meet Imanishi's wife Yoshiko, and also a group of people who might be suspects in the murder, an artistic group, the Nouveau group. Over time other people will die, either naturally or possibly murdered, some who Imanishi had hoped to gain information from.
In the end the story will search into the past and there will be a novel method of murder, quite fascinating. All in all it's an interesting mystery and excellent portrayal of a culture of which I know only a little. (4 stars)
Thus begins an interesting investigation that will take Imanishi around Japan as he tries to ascertain who the victim was and who might have killed him. It's a slow methodical approach and gradually the investigation is forced to wind down. But over the months Imanishi and another inspector from another division, Yoshimura, continue to gather clues that will help them solve the crime.
The story is more than just an investigation. We get excellent pictures Japanese culture, we meet Imanishi's wife Yoshiko, and also a group of people who might be suspects in the murder, an artistic group, the Nouveau group. Over time other people will die, either naturally or possibly murdered, some who Imanishi had hoped to gain information from.
In the end the story will search into the past and there will be a novel method of murder, quite fascinating. All in all it's an interesting mystery and excellent portrayal of a culture of which I know only a little. (4 stars)
March 17, 2025
Una lectura muy interesante.
Aunque es libro pausado es adictivo, especialmente a partir de la segunda mitad del libro.
Un caso sin resolver pero que poco a poco nuestro prota irá hilando hasta dar con la verdad. Me ha parecido muy interesante entender una novela desde el prisma de la investigacón y cavilaciones de nuestro poli.
Entiendo que se le considere un maestro de la Novela Negra! Bravo!!!
Aunque es libro pausado es adictivo, especialmente a partir de la segunda mitad del libro.
Un caso sin resolver pero que poco a poco nuestro prota irá hilando hasta dar con la verdad. Me ha parecido muy interesante entender una novela desde el prisma de la investigacón y cavilaciones de nuestro poli.
Entiendo que se le considere un maestro de la Novela Negra! Bravo!!!
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