**A writer who truly loves mystery novels penned by professional detectives**
Shogo Utano (born 1961) is a Japanese novelist and mystery writer. He primarily writes orthodox detective fiction. Born in Chiba Prefecture, he graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
During high school, he was a member of the manga research club. After graduating from university, he began writing novels while working at an editorial production company. Following an essay by Soji Shimada, he visited Shimada's home, and with Shimada's recommendation, he debuted in 1988 with "The Murder in the Long House." Shimada devised the pen name "Shogo."
Since then, he has written series featuring the famous detective Joji Shinano, such as "The Murder in the White House" and "The Murder in the Moving House," as well as non-series works like "Glass Kidnapping" and "The Man Who Buys a Corpse."
His 2003 novel, "Thinking of You in the Season of Cherry Blossoms," was ranked number one in both the 2004 Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! and Honkaku Mystery Best 10. It also received the 57th Mystery Writers of Japan Award and the 4th Honkaku Mystery Award, earning high acclaim.
Q: What was his contribution?
As a writer who sheds new light on the world of mystery novels.
Q: What are his famous works?
"Thinking of You in the Season of Cherry Blossoms" became a major topic in the world of mystery novels. It was the first time Shogo Utano won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, and it subsequently topped the Honkaku Mystery Best 10. This was a significant event in the Japanese mystery novel scene.
Wikipedia: Shogo Utano
