Pathway to Japanese Literature

Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.

If It Contains No LiesAuthor: Miyamoto Yuriko

Original Title	それに偽りがないならば
Author	宮本百合子
Genre	Detective & Mystery
Author Type	Female Author
Summary	In the shadow of post-war Japan’s political turmoil, a chilling legal drama unfolds as twelve defendants face trial for a mysterious train derailment. Among them, Takeuchi Keisuke—a conflicted former inspector—wavers between solitary guilt and coerced confessions, his shifting testimony mirroring the nation’s struggle for truth. Prosecutors brandish threats of fabricated charges, while defiant Communist Party members and laborers denounce interrogations steeped in intimidation. As courtroom tensions erupt—cameras flash, babies cry, and attorneys clash—the trial exposes a justice system teetering between democracy and authoritarianism. Behind barred windows and stifled voices, defendants recount harrowing tales of psychological torment, their defiance echoing a broader resistance against state power. With 130 witnesses looming and perjury accusations weaponized, the line between fact and manipulation blurs. What began as a derailment morphs into a battleground for human rights, where every confession and retraction could unravel Japan’s fragile democracy. Will truth emerge from the chaos, or will power silence it? The answer lies in the hearts of those daring to speak—and those determined to listen.