The Tattoo Murder Case was originally published in 1948; this is the first English translation.

In closing, the translator deserves some kudos for the excellent translation. The subtly inserted short explanations provide the novice with direct understanding with many concepts and the atmosphere of the original text has been carefully preserved.


Post War Dead Culture Intrigue   April 18, 2002
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Akimitsu Takagi's The Tattoo Murder Case is a crime novel that fits comfortably into its genre. The nourish elements are all presenting the narrative. The troubled detective is following the trail of a crime that has inherent mystery surrounding both its perpetrator and its victim. But the novel is more enthralling than just these basic details. The detective, Kenzo, is locked in the culturally ruined Japan of post World War Two. The after effects of the Atomic Bomb are scattered throughout the narrative. This leaves a dark residual cast over all of the characters. The sense of a seedy underworld is revealed to reader as the narrative carries on. Another aspect that is uncovered is the sense that Kenzo is trapped in a necrophiliac relationship with the dead tattooed woman who has been stripped of her prized full body designs. This post-mortem aura surrounds all of the characters and draws parallels to the `dead' world in which they live. A strong commentary is made on the after effects of world war. Altogether it is a fantastically well crafted novel that will draw readers into an unfamiliar cultural moment and a mystery with uncertain outcome.


Intricate Portrayal of Art and History   April 8, 2002
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Mythical and traditional history, present life and conditions in Japan, and ideals of beauty and art versus respectability appear embodied through the expertly designed tattoo on one of Takagi's characters. The Tattoo Murder Case is as intricately woven and colorful as the bewitching tattoo. The combination of the three tattoos create the mystery through illusion and provide the only clues to solve the case.

Takagi weaves together the cultural history of Japan and the reality of the recently defeated country. The art of tattoo and the ancient stories told through the art fascinate many of the characters and introduce the readers to an aspect of this country's culturally rich past. However, in present day, the practice of this art is illegal and hidden away in secret shops, and the art is not accepted in society. Bombed buildings and mentions of American soldiers and trucks illustrate the physical aspects of the defeat.

The actual detective in the story, Kyosuke Kamizu, steps forward rather late in the novel at a point at which the police and other characters involved are struggling with overwhelming frustration. The "boy genius" fills the role of a Sherlock Holmes character. Kamizu steps ahead of the other detective characters because he seems to fill both the characteristics of rationality and ideals of a romantic. Rationality and romanticism are both necessary in solving this case because it includes aspects of physics, illusion, and art.