The Samurai Detectives by Shotaro Ikenami

 

The Samurai Detectives by Shotaro Ikenami.

Translated by Yui Kajita.

Published 30th October 2025 by Penguin.

From the cover of the book:

It has been half a year since Akiyama Daijiro became a samurai; half a year since he left his father Kohei – once the most skilled swordsman in the land – to set up his own blade school by the cool of the river. Ever since, amid the swaying bamboo groves, he waits patiently for his first disciple.

But his serenity is soon disrupted by the visit of a mysterious samurai with an unhonourable offer: in exchange for a vast sum of gold, he must attack and injure the daughter of the Shogun’s most senior counsellor. Troubled by the proposal, Daijiro, alongside his father and Mifuyu, a female warrior without match, soon set out into the underworld of Edo-era Japan to uncover the conspiracy, before quickly finding themselves embroiled in a series of increasingly perilous adventures . . .

Widely considered to be the greatest work by Shotaro Ikenami, the master of Japanese historical fiction, The Samurai Detectives is a twisting, page-turning portrayal of one of the most intriguing, evocative periods in the history of Japan.

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It has been six months since Akiyama Daijiro became a samurai, and left his father Kohe to establish a dojo of his own. He hopes to become as famous and skilled as his renowned father, but even though he is already an accomplished warrior in his own right, he must wait patiently for his first student. Daijiro's hopeful meditation is interrupted by a visit from a mysterious samurai who offers him a fortune to take on a mission to break the arms of an unknown target. He feels in his bones this is not an honourable task, so refuses, even though his funds are running very low.

Upon consulting his father for advice, they discover that the target would have been Mifuyu, a female warrior without match, who has vowed to only marry a man who can best her in combat. Subsequently, Kohe makes a point of helping her save herself from the disreputable attentions of the politically motivated suitor who aimed to tip the odds in his favour. This twist of fate brings Mifuyu, daughter of the Shogun’s most senior counsellor, together with Daijiro and Kohe, and embroils them in a series of adventures that take them deep into the corrupt heart of Edo-era Japan.

Volume one of The Samurai Detectives unfurls from the perspectives of a sprawling cast of characters, who immerse you beautifully in its sinuous meanderings, and bring alive time and place in Edo-era Japan - where bribery, corruption, and murky machinations have been allowed to fester beneath the veneer of an age of peace.

The going is slow, very much in keeping with a classic Japanese adventure, wreathed in cunning moves and counter-moves, punctuated with mysteries to be solved  and bursts of samurai action - living up to its tag-line of Shogun meets Sherlock Holmes. Its episodic format gradually delves into the lives of its characters as they go about their adventures, with lashings of detail about what makes them tick in a time ruled by tradition and honour (on the surface at least).

The central characters do hold your attention, and gain your affections (Mifuyu was my favourite), nevertheless this is a book you need to give your full attention in order to appreciate every nuance of the translation from Yui Kajita. I promise your dedication will be amply rewarded by this fascinating glimpse of Japanese history.

The Samurai Detectives is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Shotaro Ikenami (1923 – 1990) was a bestselling Japanese author famed for his multi-million copy selling series of historical fiction novels. Over his lifetime, he won the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award and Naoki Award for popular literature. Over a dozen of his works were adapted for film and television, and his work remains exceptionally popular in Japan.

About the translator:

Yui Kajita is a translator , illustrator and literary scholar, originally from Kyoto, Japan, and currently based in Germany.