![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() From the moment I heard the first whispers about the case, I was fascinated. For the people of this village there could hardly be a more memorable case, and yet most of them were not aware of the full horror of this crime. Usually when people tell me these kinds of tales, they never turn out to be as interesting to me as they are to the teller, much less potential material for a book. I suppose rumours of my profession had reached the ears of the villagers, so every single one managed to bring up the topic of the Honjin Murder Case at some point. ![]() Generally, as soon as people hear that I’m a writer of detective stories, they feel compelled to tell me of any murder case with which they have the slightest personal connection. And since that day, everyone I’ve met has talked to me at least once of what some call “the Koto Murder Case” and others “the Honjin Murder Case” at the home of the Ichiyanagi family. I was evacuated to this rural farming village in Okayama Prefecture in May of last year, at the height of the bombing raids. Accordingly, one afternoon in early spring, I set off, walking stick in hand, for a stroll around that infamous residence. Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawaiīefore recording the strange history that follows, I felt I ought to take a look at the house where such a gruesome murder was committed. ![]()
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