Japanese Detectives, From Novels To Screen

Nowadays, many movies and series are adapted from books or manga series. If you are into crime and mystery novels, how many of these Japanese detective characters have you known already?

Kindaichi case files, which was first published as a manga in 1992, is about a high school student named Hajime Kindaichi, the grandson of the famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi. He solves crimes and mysteries related to ghost stories, myths, curses, and superstitious beliefs while traveling to various places along with his childhood friend Miyuki.

Kindaichi is so popular that both animated and television adaptations were made. There are even a lot of mini-series and sequences played by different artists, including Jun Matsumoto.
Not only Hajime Kindaichi, but also Kosuke Kindaichi character was adapted into television, and turned into movies. Kindaichi Kosuke vs. Akechi Kogoro(2013) and Kindaichi Kosuke vs. Akechi Kogoro Futatabi (2014) were the names of the movies. We watch Tomohisa Yamashita (Yamapi) in the role of Kindaichi Kosuke.

I think I won’t be mistaken if I say that Detective Conan is the most popular detective adapted to television in Japan. In 2000 it was chosen as the best shounen manga at the 46th Shogakukan Manga awards.
This series is about a high school detective named Kudo Shinichi who often helps the police with their cases. One day, while chasing bad guys, they capture Kudo and make him swallow a pill. This pill turns Kudo into a primary school student. He chooses the name Conan Edogawa and starts solving crimes behind the scenes with Ran's detective father. But of course Conan isn't the only brilliant detective we come across in this series, there are many more we can adore.

This manga was adapted to both anime and television series. In the live-action series, we watch Junpei Mizobata and Shun Oguri as Kudo Shinichi.

The eccentric college professor and physicist Manabu Yukawa helps the police to solve cases. He is also known as Detective Galileo (Professor Galileo). This character was adapted to many films and television series and was based on Keigo Higashino's novels. The actor Fukuyama Masaharu plays the leading role.

The manga,Q.E.D., which started in 1997 and ended in 2015, was adapted into a 10-episodes television drama in 2009. Manga has a follow-up series that was started in 2015.
The story of the manga is about MIT graduate student Toma Sou. He returns to Japan just because he wonders what it feels like to be a high school student. Mizuhara Kana is a strong young girl who likes to play sports. Together they start solving cases that happen around them.
In the live-action drama, Toma was played by Aoi Nakamura and Kana was played by Ai Takahashi.

Kyoko Okitegami is a forgetful private detective who is extremely talented. She forgets everything when she sleeps, so this habit of hers is her blessing and her curse. This character is from the Okitegami Kyoko no Biboroku novel, which was written by Isin Nisio in 2014. It was also turned into a drama series in 2015, and Yui Aragaki played the leading role.

The character Kaga Kyoichiro is from Keigo Higashino's novels, Newcomer and Malice.
This character appeared in a television drama (Shinzanmono-2010) and a special episode (Akai Yubi-2011) and a movie (The Wings of the Kirin - 2012). A second film was released in 2018. Police detective Kaga Kyoichiro was played by Abe Hiroshi.

The live-action drama is about Detective Kaga, who just transferred to the Nihonbashi police precinct. He is placed in charge of a murder case. With his upscale deductive skills, he finds out many secrets the residents of the town hide.

Daigoro Tenkaichi is a character in Keitai Higashino's novel, Meitantei no Jubaku, which was published in 1996.
In 2009, this novel was adapted into a comedy-detective television drama series named Lessons For A Perfect Detective Story (Meitantei no Okite). It was about a private detective who has to follow and apply a set of detective story rules to solve the cases. Matsuda Shota played the main character.

Detective Kiyoshi Mitarai is a character in Soji Shimada's novels.
In 2012, it was also released as a manga with the title Tantei Mitarai Kiyoshi no Jiken Kiroku. The main character, Genius Detective Kiyoshi Mitarai solves mysteries with his assistant, Kazumi Ishioka.
It’s adapted to television as a special episode with the name Tensai Tantei Mitarai: Nankai Jiken File - Kasa wo Oru Onna, and as a movie named Detective Mitarai's Casebook: The Clockwork Current (Tantei Mitarai no Jikenbo Seiro no Umi). Tamaki Hiroshi played the character, Detective Kiyoshi.

From the book, Nazotoki wa Dinner No Ato De (The Riddle-Solving Can Wait till After Dinner) (After Dinner Murders Mysteries) which includes short stories written by Tokuya Higashigawa, 10 episodes of television drama was made in 2011. At the same time, two special episodes and a film were adapted.
The story is about Reiko Hosho, a beautiful and wealthy heiress, who is also a detective, and solves murders with the help of Kageyama, a sharp-tongued butler of hers. Keiko Kitagawa played the role of Reiko, and Sho Sakurai played the butler Kageyama.

It is a character in a manga series called Bishoku Tantei Akechi Goro by Akiko Higashimura, which was first published in 2015. It was also adapted into a live-action drama in 2020, and Tomoya Nakamura played the leading role.

Kei Enomoto is a character in Kishi Yuusuke's books. In 2012, a TV series starring Ohno Satoshi was made. The story in the series was adapted from the books Glass Hammer, Kitsunebi No ie and Kagi No Kakatta Heya. The special episode of the series was based on Megami No Kuni No Satsujin which was published in 2013 and Futatsu no Misshitsu. In the series, Toda Erika and Satou Kouichi accompanied Ohno Satoshi.
The story is about; Kei Enomoto, a security company employee who loves keys and locks, solving locked room murders with two lawyers named Junko Aoto and Go Serizawa.

A television drama was made from a manga which was written by Sahee Sakado and drawn by Tori Tabii. The main character was played by Jiro Sato.
The story is about a detective who is very knowledgeable about food. This detective gets the information he needs by making people talk about food in the questioning.

A television drama adaptation was made from Yukata Maya's Kizoku Tantei (Aristocratic Detective) novel in 2017. Aiba Masaki played the leading role.
The real name of the aristocratic detective is unknown. That's how he introduces himself. Nobody knows his age, his family, or who he is exactly. It is only known that he has acquaintances in high places and suddenly appears at the scene of a crime. The most important part of the research is done by his servant, his driver, and his housekeeper.
Takei Emi and Namase Katsuhisa accompany Aiba Masaki in the drama.

Higurashi Tabito is a character in Tantei Higurashi Tabito no Sagashimono novel which was written by Kozaburo Yamaguchi. It was published in 2010.
In 2015 a special drama episode and in 2017 9-episodes drama series were made. Tori Matsuzaka played the leading role. Tabito is a detective who lost most of his senses. He can only see the emotions of people. That's how he follows the trail and finds the things people are searching for.

Tokino Mitani is a character from the novel Alibi Kuzushi Uketamawarimasu which was written by Seiichiro Oyama in 2018. In 2020 a drama series was made based on the novel and Minami Hamabe played the leading role. Tokino is a very talented young girl who runs a watch shop by herself after her grandfather's death. She helps the police to solve the alibi problems the main suspects have.

This character is from Hideo Iura's manga called Keiji Yugami which was first published in 2016. It is also turned into a live-action drama series in 2017.

Özlem Burcu Öztürk
Author, Culture Blogger, Scriptwriter, Documentary Director

Ö. Burcu focused on the significance of intercultural communication and since 2015, she has done volunteer writing to establish a bridge of culture between Japan and the world.

She released four story books; Shine Like A Star (2016, English and Turkish), Chocolate Flavored Murder (2017, English and Turkish), The Guardians Series Book 1 - Dream (2018, Turkish, English and Japanese) and Mystery Vacation (2020, English and Turkish).

She continues to focus and work on projects that can enhance intercultural ties.

Instagram: @authorburcu
Twitter: @AuthorBurcu