It is confirmed that Mushitaro Oguri, a detective novelist who was active in the early Showa period and known for works such as "Kuroshikan Murder Case", published a family novel with a completely different style from other works in 1945. it was done.
It is believed that it was created in place of a detective novel amid increasing censorship, and the expert who conducted the investigation pointed out that "it is a discovery that requires a review of the writer's image so far."
Mushitaro Oguri is a detective novelist who was active in the early Showa period along with Seishi Yokomizo, and is known for his works such as "The Afterglow Murder Case" and "Kuroshikan Murder Case" in which the famous detective Rintaro Hosui appears.
When Professor Tadayoshi Yamaguchi of Nishogakusha University investigated the work, a new newspaper serialization titled "Flag of Asia" was found, and it was confirmed that it was a feature-length novel with no record in the catalog.
According to Professor Yamaguchi, this work was serialized in local newspapers such as Kyushu from 1945 to the following year when the Pacific War began, and depicts the love and relationships surrounding the hero's youth doctor.
It is a family novel with a completely different style from the fantastic and mysterious works that make full use of the esoteric words known so far, and I think that it was created in place of the detective novel that was difficult to publish due to increasing censorship. It means that you can.
Professor Yamaguchi points out that "Oguri's style changes depending on the time, such as a detective novel or an adventure novel, but there is nothing so different, and it may be necessary to review the writer's image so far." ..
The "Flag of Asia" will be published as a book this month.
Professor Yamaguchi of Nishogakusha "Creation while struggling during the war"
Mushitaro Oguri was born in Tokyo in 1902, and after suddenly attracting attention with the "perfect crime" announced at the age of 32, he produced many masterpieces such as detective novels and adventure novels.
His talent was recognized by Ranpo Edogawa and Seishi Yokomizo, but he died in 1946 at the young age of 44.
One of the authors who expanded the horizons of Japanese detective novels, Professor Naotaka Yamaguchi of Nishogakusha University said, "I am a writer who is passionate about creating a fantastic story space that is different from everyday life by making full use of special knowledge. , The grotesque and romantic narrative world has something that no other writer can imitate. "
On the other hand, the "Asia Flag" found this time is a family novel set in Japan and Shanghai, China, and does not use unrealistic scene settings or esoteric technical terms found in other works.
It is an easy-to-read work with many conversations of the characters, with ingenuity that does not make readers bored, such as troubles and turbulence occurring in quick succession.
According to Professor Yamaguchi, detective novels lost their place of publication during the war due to restrictions on expression, and detective novelists continued their expression activities by expanding into other genres such as period novels and family novels. "Flag" is considered to be one of the works created by Oguri in such a historical background.
Professor Yamaguchi said, "I can't write a detective novel, so I think I had to write it, but I'm trying to create a story that makes it interesting to read. In the given situation. So, I think that the fact that the artist was struggling to create can be seen more clearly in this era. "