Futaro Yamada

Futaro Yamada (山田 風太郎, Yamada Fūtarō; January 4, 1922 – July 28, 2001) was the pen name of Seiya Yamada (山田 誠也, Yamada Seiya), a Japanese author. He was born in Yabu, Hyogo. In 1947, he wrote a mystery short story Daruma-tōge no Jiken (達磨峠の事件; lit. "The Incident on Dharma Pass") and was awarded a prize by the magazine Houseki (宝石). He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 Ninpōchō series) and mystery stories. Many of his works have been adapted for film, TV, manga, and anime.

Futaro Yamada in 1964

Works in English translation

Novels

• The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (original title: 甲賀忍法帖, Kōga Ninpōchō), translation Geoff Sant (Del Rey, 2006)
• The Meiji Guillotine Murders (original title: 明治断頭台, Meiji Dantōdai, 1979), translation Bryan Karetnyk (Pushkin Press, 2023)

Short story

• "The Yellow Lodger" (original title: Kiiroi Geshukunin), translation Damian Flanagan (The Tower of London: Tales of Victorian London, Peter Owen, 2005) – A Sherlock Holmes pastiche^[1]

Awards

• 1949, the 2nd Detective Story Writers' Club Award
• 1997, the 45th Kikuchi Kan Prize
• 2000, the 4th Japan Mystery Award
• 2004, the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for Basilisk, the manga adaptation of The Kouga Ninja Scrolls^[2]

Selected works

Ninja stories ("Ninpōchō" series)

• The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (甲賀忍法帖, Kōga Ninpōchō; 1959)^[3] - adapted to film in 2005, to manga in 1963 and two times in 2003, and to anime in 2005 (based on one of the 2003 manga).
• Edo Ninpōchō (江戸忍法帖; 1960) - adapted to film in 1963, and as a TV series in 1966.
• Gunkan Ninpōchō (軍艦忍法帖; 1961)
• Kunoichi Ninpōchō (くノ一忍法帖; 1961) - adapted to film twice: in 1964 (as Kunoichi Ninpō) and in 1991.
• Gedō Ninpōchō (外道忍法帖; 1962) - adapted to film twice in 1964 and 1992.
• Ninja Tsukikageshō (忍者月影抄; 1962) - adapted to film in 1963, 1996, and 2011.
• Ninpō-chūshingura (忍法忠臣蔵; 1962) - adapted to film in 1965, 1983 (TV), and 1994.
• Iga Ninpōchō (伊賀忍法帖; 1964) - adapted to film in 1982 (as Ninja Wars) and to manga in 2004.
• Ninpō Hakkenden (忍法八犬伝; 1964)
• Fūrai Ninpōchō (風来忍法帖; 1964) - adapted to film in 1965 and 1968.
• Yagyū Ninpōchō (柳生忍法帖; 1964) Yagyū Jūbei Trilogy #1 - adapted to film in 1998 and to manga in 2005.
• Ninpō Sōden 73 (忍法相伝73; 1965) - adapted to film in 1969.
• Jiraiya Ninpōchō (自来也忍法帖; 1965) - adapted to film in 1995.
• Maten Ninpōchō (魔天忍法帖; 1965)
• Shingen Ninpōchō (信玄忍法帖; 1967)
• Makai Tenshō (魔界転生; 1967) Yagyū Jūbei Trilogy #2 (serialized as Oboro Ninpōchō) - adapted to film in 1981, 1996 and 2003, to anime in 1997 and to various manga.
• Shinobi no Manji (忍びの卍; 1967) - adapted to film in 1968.
• Ninpō Kenshiden (忍法剣士伝; 1968)
• Ginga Ninpōchō (銀河忍法帖; 1968)
• Higisho Sōdatsu (秘戯書争奪; 1968) - adapted to film in 1993.
• Ninpō Fūin Ima Yaburu (忍法封印いま破る; 1969)
• Ninja Kokubyaku Zōshi (忍者黒白草紙; 1969)
• Ninpō Sōtō no Washi (忍法双頭の鷲; 1969) - adapted to TV in 2018.
• Musashi Ninpō Tabi (武蔵忍法旅; 1970)
• Uminari Ninpōchō (海鳴り忍法帖; 1971)
• Ninpō Sōsei-ki (忍法創世記; 2001)

Other fiction

• Ganchū no Akuma (眼中の悪魔; 1948)
• Kyozō Inraku (虚像淫楽; 1948) - adapted to manga in 1978.
• Akuryō no Mure (悪霊の群; 1955) with Akimitsu Takagi - adapted to film in 1956.
• Jūsankaku Kankei (十三角関係; 1956)
• Idaten Hyakuri (いだ天百里; 1957) - adapted to manga in 2006.
• Onna Rō Hishō (おんな牢秘抄; 1960) - adapted to TV series in 1972, TV movie in 1983, V-cinema film in 1995, and to manga in 2006.
• Hitsugi no Naka no Etsuraku (棺の中の悦楽; 1962) - adapted to film in 1965.
• Taiyō Kokuten (太陽黒点; 1963)
• Keishichō Sōshi (警視庁草紙; 1975) - adapted to TV series in 2001.
• Gentō Tsujibasha (幻燈辻馬車; 1976)
• The Meiji Guillotine Murders (警視庁草紙 —風太郎明治劇場—, Keishichō Sōshi —Fūtarō Meiji Gekijō—; 1979)
• Basara (婆沙羅; 1990)
• Yagyū Jūbei Shisu (柳生十兵衛死す; 1992) Yagyū Jūbei Trilogy #3 - adapted to manga in 2000.