Inspector Imanishi Investigates - Seicho Matsumoto > Reviews (1)

When I finished this novel I was extremely frustrated. Not with its content, on the contrary it was a very promising elegantly-written thriller. I knew nothing of the author but now, sadly, I know that despite the title which sets the detective as protagonist, it was the only outing for the haiku-writing and plant-loving Japanese sleuth. Incidentally the original title in Japanese is actually “Vessel of Sand”.

I read this book before my visit to Japan when I went on a Japan-fest of literature reading lots of novels also some history and other stuff in order to maximise my enjoyment of the trip. It worked and I also discovered some interesting novels, the pulpish teenage bloodbath “Battle Royale” by Koshun Takami and older stuff as well.

Anyway, to Imanishi. The novel is very Japanese in tone. The prose is understated, courteous and unemotional. The characters all treat each other with great politeness and there is a huge sense of hierarchy in all relationships. Japan is a country that seems to have substituted class for hierarchy in its social development. A great respect for old people and for those in positions of power is the closest parallel to the class system.

Imanishi’s Japan is post-war (the novel was published in 1961) but prior to the great economic revolution of the 60’s and 70’s, where Japan became the world’s second strongest economic power.

The detective’s style is quiet and reflective, in that sense a detective who would be recognised by the Holmes and, ahem, Poirot acolytes. Without the technical brilliance of either master show-off and depending often on hard work rather than intuition, Imanishi is still a detective who ponders, asks few questions but makes them relevant. In that sense it is also old-fashioned, without major bloodbaths and policeman heroics.

As a novel it is what is often described as a “police procedural”, that is, it is concerned more with how the police go about solving a particular crime rather than inviting the reader to pit his wits against the author (you can never really win anyway!).

The plot concerns a body found on the railway lines of one of Tokyo’s mainline stations. The body proves very difficult to identify and meanwhile the readers get to enter an alternative universe peopled by artists, writers, theatre people and, in passing, hostess bars. Without being able to establish the identity of the victim there is little for the police to go on. Inspector Imanishi, a middle-aged detective in the homicide department, complete with trusty sidekick, is put on the job. The only clue is a name, which can be a surname or a place-name in Japan. This leads Imanishi to a wild-goose chase to various places in search of the elusive name.

Eventually the case is closed, another police failure. But the dogged Imanishi persists in continuing the investigation even in his spare time and at his expense.

The two worlds of the police investigation and the artistic set do come together as the plot, literally thickens and other events begin to happen.

To explain how and why would be to give away the novel’s twists.

Imanishi’s Japan is post-war (the novel was published in 1961) but prior to the great economic revolution of the 60’s and 70’s, where Japan became the world’s second strongest economic power. The young people are beginning the slow process of rebelling against their elders, not something which has been as marked or drastic in Japan as in the west. It is a difficult economic situation where most of the characters, bar the odd rich guy, live modestly.

A thoroughly enjoyable read which left me, as stated, with a thirst for more. The beauty of this novel is that it is not a fake or retrospective Japan created for the current reader. It is a novel written about the Japan of its time for the Japanese of the time, hidden warts and all.

Matsumoto only wrote a few novels. He died in 1992 so there will be no additions to this body of work.

Incidentally the cover of the American edition (I don’t think it is available in a UK edition) brilliantly captures the novel’s mood. The bright-lights of Tokyo, but in noirish black-and-white and the face of the author covered in his hands. Brilliant!

On sale at £8.99, may vary with time according to the exchange rate, at Waterstone’s in the Soho Press Inc. edition.