Unraveling the mystery of the suspicious figure

In late autumn of 1994, Hideo Sawaki, a train operator in his 30s, came across a suspicious figure. Under the streetlight, it appeared to resemble a person. Reacting swiftly, he halted the train by applying the brakes with his right hand. After inspecting the rails, he found no signs of an accident, and the station staff confirmed no reports of contact or an unidentified body. The enigmatic figure seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving him pondering its true nature.

This intriguing account is part of a newly-released crime fiction novel by acclaimed Japanese author Takano Kazuaki. The novel marks his return to full-length writing in 11 years since his highly-acclaimed socially criticizing work, "Genocide of One," which delved into the subject of Japanese genocide attempts. Inspired by a true event from 1962, the novel revolves around a train crash in Tokyo, where one body remained unidentified among the 160 deceased.

Chasing sensational stories, reporter Norio Matsuda stumbles upon a puzzling photograph of a woman near a railway track. As he investigates its authenticity with the witness and police, he crosses paths with the spirit of a woman who perished in a train crash. Curiosity piqued, Matsuda questions why her soul remains on Earth. This spiritual encounter leads him to yearn for a reunion with his deceased wife's soul who had died two years ago, ultimately leaving him disheartened and in despair.

Set in 1990s Japan after the economic bubble burst, the novel explores the allure of fear-mongering stories at the time. Remarkably, its themes resonate with contemporary realities in Korea.


hoho@donga.com