Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Artificial Human IncidentAuthor: Unno Juza

Original Title	人造人間事件
Author	海野十三
Genre	Detective & Mystery
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the rain-soaked streets of 1930s Tokyo, scientist-turned-detective Homura Sōroku stumbles upon a scene drenched in foreboding: a frantic woman and a foreign doctor conspire outside Santa Maria Hospital, their whispers of a grisly death drawing him into a labyrinth of secrets. The victim—Dr. Takeda, a pioneer in artificial human research—lies mutilated in his lab, his skull shattered. The prime suspect? A hulking steel automaton with bloodstained fists, its mechanical innards whirring ominously. \nAs Homura investigates, he uncovers a web of illicit affairs, shadowy foreigners, and a cryptic codebook controlling the robot’s movements. Clues point to a radio drama broadcast the night of the murder, its script laced with coded commands. Between the eerie glow of streetlamps and the clatter of rain, alliances fracture: a jealous nephew, a grief-stricken wife, and a hospital internist with dubious credentials all harbor motives. \nThe truth hinges on cold machinery and colder hearts. In a world where human ambition collides with uncanny technology, Homura must unravel whether the killer is flesh—or steel—before the city’s whispers drown in blood.