Toko Sawada Guarantees It! The Highly Acclaimed Edo Human Drama & Supernatural Mystery 'Oni ni Kintsuba: The Ghost of the Seventh Bell' (by Ichi Sasaki / Shincho Bunko) Drops Wednesday, April 22!
Shinchosha released the highly anticipated second installment of Ichi Sasaki's popular historical mystery series 'Oni ni Kintsuba' on April 22, 2026, featuring commentary by Naoki Prize winner Toko Sawada.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 20:00
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A finalist for the 'Japan Fantasy Novel Award.' Riku Onda highly praised it, saying, 'It was very interesting! It made me shed a tear at the end.' Ichi Sasaki's 'Oni ni Kintsuba: The Monk and the Constable, Investigating the Underworld' (Shincho Bunko) became a hot topic by word of mouth immediately upon its release last May and went straight to reprint. Nominated for the 14th Japan Historical Era Writers Association Award for Best Paperback Original Debut, it has quickly earned high acclaim from readers of historical novels. The highly anticipated second volume of this popular series, 'Oni ni Kintsuba: The Ghost of the Seventh Bell,' was published by Shincho Bunko on April 22. The commentary is provided by Naoki Prize-winning author Toko Sawada. Please enjoy the entertainment value guaranteed by Toko Sawada.
What is the true identity of the samurai ghost that appears with the sound of the evening bell? The oddball buddy duo of a tough-looking North Magistrate's constable and a beautiful monk solve the mystery in the second act of this Edo human drama supernatural mystery!
Koheiji Kawahara, a North Magistrate's constable feared by all, actually has a tremendous weak spot for sweets and is terribly afraid of ghosts. Souen, a beautiful monk who lives in a house Koheiji rents out, possesses the supernatural ability to see spirits. A silent ghost appears in the house with the sound of the seventh evening bell—when the two discover that this ghost is the same person as a young samurai found dead and unidentified in Honjo, they follow his footsteps using a facial sketch as a clue to uncover the sad regrets the deceased left behind. A tough-looking but kind-hearted constable and a monk with supernatural abilities solve mysteries surrounding spirits in the second act of this Edo human drama mystery.
Commentary: Toko Sawada
《From the Author Interview》
-- We hear you currently work as a library employee. How have people around you reacted to your debut as a writer?
Actually, even at this late stage, I haven't reported it at my workplace yet. My colleagues are all good-natured people, but perhaps because of their profession, they are quite harsh book reviewers, so I've been too terrified to tell them for over half a year.
-- This work is an Edo human drama mystery where a buddy duo—a constable who looks tough but has a sweet tooth and fears ghosts, and a beautiful monk who can see ghosts—solve mysteries brought by spirits. Where did the concept for the story come from? What was the catalyst and motivation for writing this work?
I've always liked writing, but I had never written a story. So when I took a leave of absence due to health issues, I thought, 'If I'm just going to sit around anyway,' I might as well try writing a novel set in my favorite Edo period. During a walk, I absentmindedly thought, 'I'm glad I don't have a sixth sense and can't see ghosts,' which gave me the idea: 'Come to think of it, there were ghosts in the Edo period too. What would a samurai do if he saw a ghost? Surely there must have been samurai who hated ghosts...' That's how I started thinking about it.
Read the rest of the interview here!
Read a sample of the first volume here.
■ Author Profile: Ichi Sasaki
Born in Tokyo. Library employee. Debuted when 'Oni ni Kintsuba: The Monk and the Constable, Investigating the Underworld' became a finalist for the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Nominated for the Japan Historical Era Writers Association Award for Best Paperback Original Debut for the same work.
■ Book Data
[Title] Oni ni Kintsuba: The Ghost of the Seventh Bell
[Author Name] Ichi Sasaki
[Release Date] April 22, 2026
[Format] Shincho Bunko
[Price] 737 yen (tax included)
[ISBN] 978-4-10-106042-2
[URL] https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/book/106042/
What is the true identity of the samurai ghost that appears with the sound of the evening bell? The oddball buddy duo of a tough-looking North Magistrate's constable and a beautiful monk solve the mystery in the second act of this Edo human drama supernatural mystery!
Koheiji Kawahara, a North Magistrate's constable feared by all, actually has a tremendous weak spot for sweets and is terribly afraid of ghosts. Souen, a beautiful monk who lives in a house Koheiji rents out, possesses the supernatural ability to see spirits. A silent ghost appears in the house with the sound of the seventh evening bell—when the two discover that this ghost is the same person as a young samurai found dead and unidentified in Honjo, they follow his footsteps using a facial sketch as a clue to uncover the sad regrets the deceased left behind. A tough-looking but kind-hearted constable and a monk with supernatural abilities solve mysteries surrounding spirits in the second act of this Edo human drama mystery.
Commentary: Toko Sawada
《From the Author Interview》
-- We hear you currently work as a library employee. How have people around you reacted to your debut as a writer?
Actually, even at this late stage, I haven't reported it at my workplace yet. My colleagues are all good-natured people, but perhaps because of their profession, they are quite harsh book reviewers, so I've been too terrified to tell them for over half a year.
-- This work is an Edo human drama mystery where a buddy duo—a constable who looks tough but has a sweet tooth and fears ghosts, and a beautiful monk who can see ghosts—solve mysteries brought by spirits. Where did the concept for the story come from? What was the catalyst and motivation for writing this work?
I've always liked writing, but I had never written a story. So when I took a leave of absence due to health issues, I thought, 'If I'm just going to sit around anyway,' I might as well try writing a novel set in my favorite Edo period. During a walk, I absentmindedly thought, 'I'm glad I don't have a sixth sense and can't see ghosts,' which gave me the idea: 'Come to think of it, there were ghosts in the Edo period too. What would a samurai do if he saw a ghost? Surely there must have been samurai who hated ghosts...' That's how I started thinking about it.
Read the rest of the interview here!
Read a sample of the first volume here.
■ Author Profile: Ichi Sasaki
Born in Tokyo. Library employee. Debuted when 'Oni ni Kintsuba: The Monk and the Constable, Investigating the Underworld' became a finalist for the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Nominated for the Japan Historical Era Writers Association Award for Best Paperback Original Debut for the same work.
■ Book Data
[Title] Oni ni Kintsuba: The Ghost of the Seventh Bell
[Author Name] Ichi Sasaki
[Release Date] April 22, 2026
[Format] Shincho Bunko
[Price] 737 yen (tax included)
[ISBN] 978-4-10-106042-2
[URL] https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/book/106042/