Joh Sasaki Profile

Joh Sasaki has published more than fifty novels and articles, some of which have been awarded literary prizes. Many of his works have been adapted for television, the cinema and the theater. Although his early writings tend to be categorized as mysteries, he later expanded into historical fiction, non-fiction and other genres. His areas of interest are the history of the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, World War II, modern industrial technology and journalism.

Sasaki was born in 1950 in Yubari, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. He spent his youth in Sapporo. His debut novel earned him the new novelist award of the All Yomimono literary magazine, published by Bungeishunju Ltd., one of the largest publishing houses in Japan. He is a member of the Japanese Center of International PEN and the Mystery Writers of Japan.

Recently, Sasaki published Keikan no Chi (A Line of Police Officers) Shinchosha Publishing Co., Ltd., 2007, which has been adapted for television and translated into Korean. This roman-fleuve focuses on a family with three generations of police officers: a grandfather, a father and a son. The long story addresses criminals and social changes, reflecting the social conditions of Japan during the six decades since the end of the Pacific War.