#The Dupin of Torimonocho detective

[nezumikozo6th]

Pulptober 2024 Day 30-Hero in Adaptation-Hanshichi

Hanshichi Torimonocho is an ancient Japanese detective novel series written by Okamoto Kido,the first half of which was serialised in the Monthly Kabuki Review Magazine in the late 1920s,early 1930s.It tells the story of a reporter in the Meiji era who interviewed Hanshichi,a detective who solved many crimes in the Edo period,and the past investigative achievements of the old man are composed in the form of short stories to make the entire series.What many people don’t know is that the reporter is not entirely fictional character:Kido accidentally met an old man named Hanshichi who used to be a goyoukiki(Unofficial collaborator of the Japanese police at the time),and often listen to him talk about his criminal investigation experience,he adapted them for that groundbreaking dime novel series.

It's difficult to determine which of these stories are based on Hanshichi's real-life experiences and which are entirely fictional, and he doesn't seem to have left much record of his life outside of Okamoto's work.Regardless,his novel incarnation became the first detective in Torimonocho fiction,which is a Japanese creative theme that combines the Edo period background and mystery plot.Hanshichi does not have criminal investigation equipment and scientific knowledge from the modern period,he solves cases primarily through reasoning,intuition, connections,and knowledge of Japanese society at the time,and is willing to use eavesdropping,rumors,or other tricks to obtain evidence when necessary.It is understandable in an era before there're computers,cars and test tubes.

Just like what happened after Sherlock Holmes became famous,after Hanshichi Torimonocho became the first Torimonocho work,this theme spawned many works,and it has been adapted into stage plays and TV series many times.The more famous works of later Torimonocho novels include Zenigata Heiji Torimonocho,Umon Torimonocho,Sashichi Torimonocho and Young Samurai Torimonocho.

(Editorial:QuaterniFecha de edición,2014)

Hanshichi,played by Kazuo Hasegawa