Inspector Imanishi Investigates
Tokyo, 1960. As the first rays of morning light hit the rails at Kamata Station, a man's body is found on the tracks. With only two leads - a distinctive accent and a single word, 'kameda' - Senior Inspector Imanishi Eitaro is called in to solve the puzzle. Setting aside his beloved bonsai and haikus, he must cross Japan in search of answers, from Osaka to Akita, accompanied by junior detective Yoshimura. At each new town, they encounter traces of the avant-garde Nouveau Group - young Tokyo artists who are bringing new ideas from the West. What to make of this modern collective? And how to stop another mysterious death occurring? Inspector Imanishi investigates . . . A fascinating glimpse into Japanese society at a time of great change, this is one of Seicho Matsumoto's best-loved novels - a riveting mystery from the master of Japanese crime.
While the protagonist Eitaro Imanishi appears in other works by the author, this novel functions as a self-contained mystery that does not require reading any other books to follow the plot.
The novel has been adapted into multiple film and television dramas in Japan, where it is widely known by its original title, Suna no Utsuwa.
The original Japanese title translates to Vessel of Sand, a metaphor that reflects the author's exploration of the fragility of human identity and the social structures of post-war Japan.