The Honkaku Mystery Awards (本格ミステリ大賞, Honkaku Misuteri Taishō) are presented every year by the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan. They honor the best in honkaku (i.e. authentic, orthodox) mystery fiction and critical works published in the previous year.
Honkaku Mystery Award for Best Fiction winners
| Year | Winner | Title | Available in English Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | Jun Kurachi (ja) | Kochu no Tengoku (壺中の天国) | |
| 2 | 2002 | Masaki Yamada | Misuteri Opera (ミステリ・オペラ) | |
| 3 | 2003 | Kiyoshi Kasai (ja) | Oidipusu Shokogun (オイディプス症候群) | |
| Otsuichi | Gosu Risuto katto Jiken (GOTH リストカット事件) | Goth: A Novel of Horror | ||
| 4 | 2004 | Shogo Utano (ja) | Hazakura no Kisetsu ni Kimi o Omou to iu Koto (葉桜の季節に君を想うということ) | |
| 5 | 2005 | Rintaro Norizuki | Namakubi ni Kiitemiro (生首に聞いてみろ) | |
| 6 | 2006 | Keigo Higashino | Yōgisha X no Kenshin (容疑者Xの献身) | The Devotion of Suspect X |
| 7 | 2007 | Shusuke Michio (ja) | Shadou (シャドウ) | |
| 8 | 2008 | Alice Arisugawa | Joo koku no Shiro (女王国の城) | |
| 9 | 2009 | Masaki Tsuji | Kanzen Ren'ai (完全恋愛) | |
| 10 | 2010 | Shinzo Mitsuda (ja) | Mizuchi no gotoki Shizumu Mono (水魑の如き沈むもの) | |
| Shogo Utano (ja) | Misshitsu Satsujin Gemu 2.0 (密室殺人ゲーム2.0) | |||
| 11 | 2011 | Yutaka Maya (ja) | Sekigan no Shojo (隻眼の少女) | |
| 12 | 2012 | Kyo Shirodaira (ja) | Kyoko Suiri: Kojin Nanase (虚構推理 鋼人七瀬) | |
| Hiroko Minagawa | Hirakasete Itadaki Koei desu (開かせていただき光栄です) | The Resurrection Fireplace | ||
| 13 | 2013 | Seiichiro Oyama (ja) | Misshitsu Shushuka (密室蒐集家) | |
| 14 | 2014 | Tomoki Morikawa (ja) | Suno Howaito (スノーホワイト) | |
| 15 | 2015 | Yutaka Maya (ja) | Sayonara Kamisama (さよなら神様) | |
| 16 | 2016 | Hiu Torikai (ja) | Shi to Sunadokei (死と砂時計) | |
| 17 | 2017 | Kenji Takemoto (ja) | Ruikō Meikyū (涙香迷宮) | |
| 18 | 2018 | Masahiro Imamura (ja) | Shijinsō no Satsujin (屍人荘の殺人) | Death Among the Undead |
| 19 | 2019 | Amon Ibuki (ja) | Katana to Kasa (刀と傘) | |
| 20 | 2020 | Sako Aizawa (ja) | Medium: Reibai Tantei Jozuka Hisui (medium 霊媒探偵城塚翡翠) | |
| 21 | 2021 | Tomoya Sakurada (ja) | Semi Kaeru (蟬かえる) | |
| 22 | 2022 | Taku Ashibe | Omarike Satsujin Jiken (大鞠家殺人事件) | |
| Honobu Yonezawa | Kokurojo (黒牢城) | The Samurai and the Prisoner | ||
| 23 | 2023 | Tomoyuki Shirai (ja) | Meitantei no Ikenie: Jinmin Kyokai Satsujin Jiken (名探偵のいけにえ 人民教会殺人事件) |
- Nominees available in English translation
- 05 (2005) - Taku Ashibe, Murder in the Red Chamber (紅楼夢の殺人, Koromu no Satsujin)
- 10 (2010) - Yukito Ayatsuji, Another (アナザー, Anazā)
Honkaku Mystery Award for Best Critical Work winners
| Year | Winner | Title | Available in English Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | Manji Gonda (ja) Hirohisa Shimpo (ja) |
Nihon Misuteri Jiten (日本ミステリー事典) (Dictionary of Japanese mystery writers) |
|
| 2 | 2002 | Tadashi Wakashima (ja) | Ranshi Dokusha no Kikan (乱視読者の帰還) (Critical essay) |
|
| 3 | 2003 | Kiyoshi Kasai (ja) | Tantei Shosetsu Ron Josetsu (探偵小説論序説) (Studies on Honkaku mystery) |
|
| 4 | 2004 | Akiyuki Sengai (ja) | Minamo no Seiza Minasoko no Hoseki (水面の星座 水底の宝石) (Studies on honkaku mystery) |
|
| 5 | 2005 | Hajime Amagi (ja) | AMAGI Hajime no Misshitsu Hanzaigaku Kyotei (天城一の密室犯罪学教程) (Theory and practice of Locked room mystery) |
|
| 6 | 2006 | Kaoru Kitamura | The Japanese Nickel Mystery (ニッポン硬貨の謎, Nippon Koka no Nazo) (Pastiche of Ellery Queen) |
|
| 7 | 2007 | Masaaki Tatsumi (ja) | Ronri no Kumo no Su no Naka de (論理の蜘蛛の巣の中で) (Studies on honkaku mystery) |
|
| 8 | 2008 | Kentaro Komori (ja) | Tantei Shosetsu no Ronrigaku (探偵小説の論理学) (Studies on honkaku mystery) |
|
| 9 | 2009 | Toshiaki Endo (ja) | Nazo no Kaizodo (「謎」の解像度) (Studies on honkaku mystery) |
|
| 10 | 2010 | Motoi Taniguchi (ja) | Senzen Sengo Itan Bungaku Ron (戦前戦後異端文学論) (Studies on Japanese heterodox literature) |
|
| 11 | 2011 | Yusan Iiki (ja) | Erari Kuin Ron (エラリー・クイーン論) (Studies on Ellery Queen) |
|
| 12 | 2012 | Kiyoshi Kasai (ja) | Tantei Shosetsu to Jojutsu Torikku (探偵小説と叙述トリック) (Studies on mystery fiction) |
|
| 13 | 2013 | Kenta Fukui (ja) | Honkaku Misuteri Kansho Jutsu (本格ミステリ鑑賞術) (Studies on honkaku mystery) |
|
| 14 | 2014 | Ryuzo Uchida (ja) | Roja Akuroido wa Naze Korosareru? (ロジャー・アクロイドはなぜ殺される?) (lit. Why Is Roger Ackroyd Killed?) |
|
| 15 | 2015 | Aoi Shimotsuki | Agasa Kurisuti Kanzen Koryaku (アガサ・クリスティー完全攻略) (lit. The Definitive Guide to Agatha Christie) |
|
| 16 | 2016 | Shinobu Asagihara (ja) | Misuteri Dokusha no Tame no Renjō Mikihiko Zensakuhin Gaido: Zōhokaiteiban (ミステリ読者のための連城三紀彦全作品ガイド 増補改訂版) (lit. The Guide to Complete Works of Mikihiko Renjo for Mystery Readers: Enlarged and Revised) |
|
| 17 | 2017 | Masahiko Kikuni (ja) Yuka Kuniki (ja) |
Honkaku Ryoku: Hondana Tantei no Misuteri Bukku Gaido (本格力 本棚探偵のミステリ・ブックガイド) (lit. The Might of Honkaku: A Shelf Detective's Mystery Book Guide) |
|
| 18 | 2018 | Yusan Iiki (ja) | Honkaku Musuteri Gesakuzanmai (本格ミステリ戯作三昧) (lit. Being Absorbed to Honkaku) |
|
| 19 | 2019 | Shosaku Naka (ja) | Ranpo Nazotoki Kuronikuru (乱歩謎解きクロニクル) (lit. Ranpo Mystery Solving Chronicle) |
|
| 20 | 2020 | Yasuo Nagayama (ja) | Modanizumu Misuteri no Jidai (モダニズム・ミステリの時代) (lit. The Era of Modernism Mystery) |
|
| 21 | 2021 | Yusan Iiki (ja) | Sugakusha to Tetsugakusha no Misshitsu (数学者と哲学者の密室) (lit. The Locked Room of a Mathematician and a Philosopher) |
|
| 22 | 2022 | Osamu Komori (ja) | Tanpen Misuteri no 200 Nen (短編ミステリの二百年) | |
| 23 | 2023 | Tatsumi Atsukawa (ja) | Atsukawa Tatsumi Dokusho Nikki (阿津川辰海 読書日記) |
Honkaku Mystery Award for Lifetime Achievement winners
The award is presented irregularly.
- 01 (2001) - Tetsuya Ayukawa (Honkaku mystery writer)
- 04 (2004) - Yasunobu Togawa (ja) (editor), Hideomi Uyama (ja) (editor)
- 08 (2008) - Fu Chin-chuan (Hiroshi Shimazaki) (ja) (editor)
Best Translated Honkaku Mystery of the Decade
The Best Honkaku Mystery Novel translated into Japanese in the last decade.
Winners (in bold) and shortlisted titles.
2000–2009
| Author | Title | Translator | Orig. Pub. Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Kerley | The Death Collectors | Kazuyo Misumi | 2005 |  USA
|
| Sarah Caudwell | The Sibyl in Her Grave | Kazuyo Haneji | 2000 |  ENG
|
| Michael Connelly | Blood Work | Yoshimichi Furusawa (ja) | 1998 | USA
|
| Thomas H. Cook | Instruments of Night | Kiyoshi Muramatsu (ja) | 1998 | USA
|
| Jeffery Deaver | The Cold Moon | Makiko Ikeda (ja) | 2006 | USA
|
| Minette Walters | The Shape of Snakes | Hiroko Narikawa | 2000 | ENG
|
2010–2019
| Author | Title | Translator | Orig. Pub. Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Horowitz | The Word Is Murder | Ran Yamada | 2017 | ENG
|
| Michel Bussi | Black Water Lilies | Atsushi Hiraoka (ja) | 2011 |  FRA
|
| Chan Ho-kei | The Borrowed | Kentaro Amano (ja) | 2014 |  HKG
|
| Frances Hardinge | The Lie Tree | Atsuko Kodama | 2015 | ENG
|
| Kate Morton | The Secret Keeper | Junko Aoki (ja) | 2012 |  AUS
|
| Stuart Turton | The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle | Kazuyo Misumi | 2018 | ENG
|
See also
References
- Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan (2010), Honkaku Misuteri Taisho Zen Senpyo 2001-2010 (本格ミステリ大賞全選評 2001-2010), Kobunsha, Tokyo
- WHO'S THE SHADOW? | Japan Book Bank (in English)
- "本格ミステリ大賞に伊吹さん、中さん". 産経新聞. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- THE SWORD AND THE UMBRELLA | Japan Book Bank (in English)
- RETURN AS A CICADA | Japan Book Bank (in English)
- MURDER AT THE HOUSE OF OOMARI | Japan Book Bank (in English)
- "本格ミステリ大賞に伊吹さん、中さん". 産経新聞. Retrieved 15 May 2020.