The Devil's Disciple

Shiro Hamao's pair of gulp-sized short stories, 'The Devil's Disciple' and 'Did He Kill Them?' are published in English for the first time, and the only disappointment is that we cannot reach for more of his work.

Hamao was born into one of Japan's richest and most powerful families, but relinquished his job as a public prosecutor to write books about crime and injustice. He died in 1935 at the age of 40: these are his first two works, originally published in Japan six years prior to his death.

In the title story, Shimaura Eizo languishes in jail charged with the murder of a young woman. The narrative takes the form of a letter from Eizo to the prosecutor of the case, who happens to be a former lover, and whom he blames for his predicament.

In 'Did He Kill Them?', Hamao's narrator assumes the role of an ailing barrister, regaling a group of detective novelists with the story of how an apparently water-tight, death penalty-punishable crime of passion turned out to be anything but.

Hamao's riveting work shines a light on Twenties Japan's rigid, honour-bound society: a society in which reputation meant everything, even in death. It also still stands as a damning indictment of the justice system both then and now.