Godfather of Japanese detective stories inspired by Sherlock
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As Mitarai is a rare surname, most people called him "Mr Toilet" when they first met. Shimada explains that he himself was teased by kids who called him "Toilet Soji."
Detective Mitarai has a Western, Sherlock Holmes steel-trap deductive mind. He reflects aspects of Shimada himself and frequently frowns upon certain aspects of the Japanese character.
"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" shook up the world of Japanese mystery fiction and Shimada says: "It was a very hard time for me. But I said to myself that I must do something and go forward, rather than returning to the time when I produced nothing."
Pressure was enormous. After publishing another novel about Detective Mitarai in 1982, Shimada gave up the series temporarily and started a new series whose main character was Takeshi Yoshiki, a middle-aged policeman. These were "travel mysteries," a popular style in the 1980s.
Shimada never forgot the honkaku mystery, however, and got to know a group of new honkaku writers from Kyoto University in the late 1980s. He mentored and promoted many of them, including influential mystery writers such as Yukito Ayatsuji and Rintaro Norizuki.
In 1987, Ayatsuji published his first book, "Murders At A Ten-Cornered Residence," at the urging of Shimada. To express his thanks, the new author gave his series detective the name Kiyoshi Shimada, taken from both Soji Shimada and Kiyoshi Mitarai.
"Murders At A Ten-Cornered Residence" opened a chapter of the shin-honkaku mystery, or neo-orthodox school.
It calls for a combination of the classic rules of detective fiction, plus more psychology and self-reflection on the part of the detective.
To Shimada's mind, this represented a return to the mystery style of Edgar Allen Poe, one of the earliest and greatest modern mystery writers.
Popular in East Asia
To this day, numerous shin-honkaku writers have emerged. Honkaku mystery has established its own writers' association and awards.
The Mystery Writers of Japan Inc has selected "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" as one of the top 10 mystery novels in Japan in the 20th century.
Shimada's aim is to promote mystery stories throughout East Asia.
"Detective fiction was created by Anglo-Saxons, but now is developed in the East," he says. Shimada also claims the mystery genre is declining in Europe and North America, replaced by adventure novels and Hollywood movies.
"I hope the orthodox detective story becomes popular again in the West," he says, adding that Asian mysteries could appeal to Western readers.
Taiwan has established the Soji Shimada Logic Mystery Award, every two years honoring outstanding classic detective mysteries on the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan.
Asked at the Fudan University event bout living in the United States, Shimada said:
"I moved because too many people know me in Japan, and frequently editors for the publishing house would call me for drinking. The novels' quality will drop if the writer drinks too much. That's why many Japanese writers choose to move to the countryside for tranquillity," he says.
"After moving to the US, I found my relation with Asia was even closer than before. I have to travel from place to place to find new honkaku mystery writers, my life is rather busy."
In "Soseki and the London Mummy Murders" (1984) Shimada describes Sherlock Holmes as a schizophrenic. Asked about the legendary detective, he says: "In fact I really appreciate him and he influenced me greatly. It was just a joke between friends."
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