AUTHOR ENCYCLOPEDIA

Honobu Yonezawa

HONOBU YONEZAWA

Honobu Yonezawa is a Japanese novelist and mystery writer from Gifu Prefecture. He debuted with Hyouka in 2001 and went on to write the Classics Club series, the Shoshimin series, Mangan, The Black Dungeon Castle, and more.

Author Profile Novelist / mystery writer
Honobu Yonezawa1978HyoukaOriginal author of Hyouka

Author Profile

Author profile

Yonezawa's writing centers on mystery fiction, from everyday school mysteries to full-scale and historical mystery novels.

PROFILE NOTE

Honobu Yonezawa

Novelist / mystery writer

Honobu Yonezawa is a Japanese novelist and mystery writer from Gifu Prefecture, and a graduate of Kanazawa University.

In 2001, Hyouka received an honorable mention in the Young Mystery & Horror category of the 5th Kadokawa School Novel Award, becoming the beginning of the Classics Club series.

His work ranges from school-life mysteries to historical mysteries, short-story collections, and more socially shaded novels. Major awards include the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize, the Yamada Futaro Prize, and the Naoki Prize.

Major Works

Major works

A compact guide to the series and standalone works most often referenced when tracing Yonezawa's writing.

Hyouka book cover
2001-

Classics Club Series

古典部シリーズ

school mystery / everyday mystery

Beginning with Hyouka, the Classics Club series follows Kamiyama High's club activities, school life, and everyday mysteries. It is the core context for this site.

HyoukaThe Credit Roll of the FoolThe Kudryavka SequenceThe Doll That Took a DetourApproximating the Distance Between Two PeopleEven Though I'm Told I Now Have Wings
The Case of the Springtime Strawberry Tart book cover
2004-

Shoshimin Series

小市民シリーズ

everyday mystery

Centered on Jogoro Kobato and Yuki Osanai, the series follows two students trying to live as quiet ordinary citizens while being pulled into case after case.

The Case of the Springtime Strawberry TartThe Case of the Summertime Tropical ParfaitThe Case of the Autumn-Exclusive Kuri KintonThe Mystery of the Paris MacaronThe Case of the Winter-Exclusive Bonbon Chocolat
The King and the Circus book cover
2015-

Beruf Series

ベルーフシリーズ

journalist / mystery

A related line of stories about freelance journalist Machi Tairai, branching from Goodbye, Fairy and including The King and the Circus and Ten Meters Before the Truth.

The King and the CircusTen Meters Before the Truth
In Search of a Lost Dog book cover
2005-

S&R Series

S&Rシリーズ

detective agency / mystery

A detective-agency mystery line set around the Konya S&R office, best represented by In Search of a Lost Dog.

In Search of a Lost DogKonya S&R
Books and Keys in the Seasons book cover
2018-

Library Committee Series

図書委員シリーズ

school / mystery

A school mystery series centered on library committee members, including Books and Keys in the Seasons and Bookmarks and Lies in the Seasons.

Books and Keys in the SeasonsBookmarks and Lies in the Seasons
I's Tragedy book cover
2019

I's Tragedy

Iの悲劇

novel / mystery

A recent standalone mystery set around a rural relocation project and a chain of incidents involving new arrivals.

standaloneregionalmystery
Mangan book cover
2014

Mangan

満願

short-story collection

A short-story collection that won the 27th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize and was nominated for the 151st Naoki Prize.

Night WatchFull HouseMangan
The Black Dungeon Castle book cover
2021

The Black Dungeon Castle

黒牢城

historical mystery

A historical mystery set around Arioka Castle during the Sengoku period. It won the 166th Naoki Prize in 2022.

Yamada Futaro PrizeNaoki Prize
Combustible book cover
2023

Combustible

可燃物

mystery novel

A recent mystery work that continues Yonezawa's attention to puzzles, relationships, and the structure of incidents.

standalonemystery

Adaptations

Adaptations

Representative film, drama, and TV anime adaptations of Yonezawa's works, arranged by release period.

The Incite Mill: 7-Day Death Game film visual
2010

The Incite Mill: 7-Day Death Game

インシテミル 7日間のデス・ゲーム

Film

live-action film

Adapted from The Incite Mill and released in Japan on October 16, 2010.

Filmlive-action film
The Challenge Letter from Kaitou X related visual
2011

The Challenge Letter from Kaitou X

怪盗Xからの挑戦状

Drama

TV program drama

Broadcast inside an NHK program on May 5, 2011.

DramaTV program drama
Hyouka TV anime visual
2012

Hyouka

氷菓

TV Anime

TV anime

Aired from April to September 2012. The Kyoto Animation production adapts the Classics Club series.

TV AnimeTV anime
Live-action Hyouka film visual
2017

Hyouka

氷菓

Film

live-action film

Adapted from the Classics Club series and released in Japan on November 3, 2017.

Filmlive-action film
NHK drama Mangan related visual
2018

Mangan

満願

Drama

NHK drama

An NHK mystery special adapting Full House, Night Watch, and Mangan from the short-story collection.

DramaNHK drama
Shoshimin Series TV anime visual
2024 / 2025

Shoshimin Series

小市民シリーズ

TV Anime

TV anime

Produced by Lapin Track, with source material including The Case of the Springtime Strawberry Tart and The Case of the Summertime Tropical Parfait.

TV AnimeTV anime

Awards

Awards

Representative literary and mystery awards that help show how Yonezawa's work has been received in Japan.

2001

5th Kadokawa School Novel Award

Hyouka

Honorable mention in the Young Mystery & Horror category, marking the start of the Classics Club series.

2011

64th Mystery Writers of Japan Award

The Broken Keel

Won in the Novel and Linked Short Story Collection category.

2014

27th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize

Mangan

The short-story collection won the prize and was nominated for the Naoki Prize.

2021

12th Yamada Futaro Prize

The Black Dungeon Castle

A historical mystery set around Arioka Castle during the Sengoku period.

2022

166th Naoki Prize

The Black Dungeon Castle

The novel received one of Japan's major popular-literature prizes.

2022

22nd Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize

The Black Dungeon Castle

Won in the Novel category.

2024

77th Mystery Writers of Japan Award

Combustible

Won in the Short Story Collection category.

ORIGIN Back to ORIGIN

Return to ORIGIN for the Classics Club series, characters, and TV anime reference pages.

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