Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

Pitcher Murder CaseAuthor: Sakaguchi Ango

Original Title	投手殺人事件
Author	坂口安吾
Genre	Detective & Mystery
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the shadowy corridors of Asahi Studios, Publicity Director Hosomaki is drawn into a web of scandal when actress Akeha Yoko resurfaces after vanishing for a month. Rumors swirl of her affair with Oshika, a star pitcher whose blazing fastball earned him fame—and now danger. Desperate to escape her gambler husband, Iwaya Tengu, Yoko seeks a staggering three million yen to buy her freedom, dragging Hosomaki into a high-stakes deal involving Oshika’s secret contract negotiations. But rival scouts and schemers lurk: Ueno Mitsuko, a cunning freelance agent with a venomous charm, and Raumokisuke, a tenacious reporter hungry for a scoop. As midnight meetings in Kyoto’s desolate studios turn treacherous, alliances fracture. When Oshika is found brutally murdered in a blood-soaked room, Yoko emerges as the sole witness—her plea for help drenched in suspicion. With secrets smoldering beneath the surface of Japan’s cutthroat baseball leagues and film industry, loyalties blur, and every player has a motive. The game is no longer about fame or love—it’s survival.