Pathway to Japanese Literature

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

ScalesAuthor: Ran Ikujirō

Original Title	鱗粉
Author	蘭郁二郎
Genre	Detective & Mystery
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the seaside town of K—, summer arrives in a burst of color and chaos as crowds flock to its dazzling beaches. Amid the parasols and laughter, Shirafuji Rotaro, a convalescent at a secluded sanatorium, observes the revelry from afar—until a shocking murder disrupts the season’s gaiety. During the beach opening ceremony, Rumiko, a radiant young woman in a crimson swimsuit, collapses lifelessly on the sand, a dagger buried in her chest. Though surrounded by onlookers, no one witnesses the killer’s strike. Rotaro, drawn into the mystery, crosses paths with Yamaka Jusuke—a cunning man from his past—whose smirk hints at darker secrets. \nDays later, another body is found: a bob-haired beauty in white, slain identically on a desolate stretch of coast. Rotaro’s suspicions of Yamaka deepen as eerie coincidences mount—vanishing figures, cryptic encounters, and a trail of unanswered questions. Yet each clue slips like sand through his fingers, blurring reality beneath midsummer’s glare. \nAs fireworks light the sky and moths flutter through moonless nights, Rotaro navigates a labyrinth of deception where beauty masks danger, and every shadow could harbor a killer’s grin. The truth lies buried in K—’s vibrant heart—if he dares to dig.