Background
Kyotaro Nishimura was born in Tokyo on September 6, 1930.
(This 1982 novel, the first of Nishimura's several train m...)
This 1982 novel, the first of Nishimura's several train mysteries to be translated into English, is a gripping, streamlined procedural. Japanese National Railways (JNR) periodically runs popular days-long excursions to unannounced destinations. When a ""mystery train"" out of Tokyo disappears between two stations with 400 passengers, JNR officials are baffled even after they get a clarifying ransom demand for one billion yen (two and a half million yen per passenger--a nice touch, since it equals JNR's annual government subsidy per employee). How did the kidnappers make a twelve-car train vanish? Where can they be holding all those passengers without attracting notice? How do they expect to pick up the 130-pound ransom and escape from the police who are sure to be called in? JNR's Hiroshi Kataro and his police colleagues Honda and Totsugawa do some clever detective work--figuring out where the train has gone, how the kidnappers got the ransom money off a sealed train, where the passengers are being kept, who the perpetrators are, and why they're holding onto three hostages after giving up the other 397. But each time they seem to be closing in on the criminals, they come up short--until the final, understated surprise.
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1982
Kyotaro Nishimura was born in Tokyo on September 6, 1930.
He had graduated from a technical high school. But his education was interrupted by the war. After schooling, he worked as a government employee for eleven years but he was underprivileged without a college degree and hence started off his career as a writer. His first book was published in 1964 after much struggle to be recognized as a writer. The very next year he bagged the most prestigious Edogawa Rampo mystery prize.
Kyōtarō Nishimura was first employed in the Temporary National Personnel Commission, which later on developed into the National Personnel Authority. The institution was a government panel that counsels the prime minister regarding the pay and working environment for civil servants. Later he resigned after eleven years of service and did such jobs as that of a private investigator and that of a watchman. It was during this period that he embarked on a writing career. Though he has penned mystery novels of every kind, after the massive success of his work Shindai Tokkyū Satsujin Jiken (Murder on the Limited Express Sleeper,1986) he focused more on travel-based mysteries.
Nishimura has authored many fictions in varying formats, the big success of his 1980 train travel mystery novel, he began to focus more on train mysteries with detectives Totsukawa and Kamei as main characters. These train related mystery series have gained a huge readership in Japan that many Japanese TV mystery dramas features these detectives as characters. The formula of such stock characters and well known plots have been victorious down the years from Sherlock Holmes to Robert Parker’s Spenser.
The prolific writer Nishimura is acclaimed as the father of the Japanese travel mystery fiction. His creative output is still going strong even at the age of 74. The fiction magazines like Shosetsu Hoseki, All Yomimono, Shosetsu Gendai, Shosetsu Shincho, Mondai Shosetsu, and J-Novel features his mystery travel fictions.
(This 1982 novel, the first of Nishimura's several train m...)
1982(The Battle of Police Inspector Totsugawa [Japanese Editio...)
2002(Novel by Nishimura Kyotaro one the most famous mystery wr...)
2003(Novel by Nishimura Kyotaro one the most famous mystery wr...)
2008(Novel by Nishimura Kyotaro one the most famous mystery wr...)
2008(Novel by Nishimura Kyotaro one the most famous mystery wr...)
2015(Novel by Kyotaro Nishimura, Japan's leading travel myster...)
2000(Novel by Kyotaro Nishimura, Japan's leading travel myster...)
2005(Novel by Kyotaro Nishimura, Japan's leading travel myster...)
2005(The Trial of Police Inspector Totsugawain Japanese Language.)
2001He hasn't ventured in politics and hasn't revealed much about his views on politics. It's very common scene in Japan to find popular writers venturing into politics, however he hasn't taken that stand. He has used politics in few of his writings for the fiction.
Kyotaro Nishimura is a well respected, fatherly figure in the country. He has been very successful with his writings throughout his career. With over 200 million copies sold makes him one of the best-selling writer in the history of Japan. He is known to be humble and empathetic person. Kyotaro wrote mystery stories throughout his life but his life wasn't any mystery to the world he belonged to. He was known for his caring and humble smiles.
Physical Characteristics: He is a humble person in real with ideal thoughts that has inspired a lot of younger generation to follow his footsteps of writing. He has been a true inspirer to several young authors in the country.