My Top 10 Keigo Higashino Picks: Stories That Stole My Heart

　「東野圭吾おすすめ10選：心をつかんだ物語たち」

Podcast　リンク

**Q: How was your experience volunteering at the Tokyo Marathon?**

**A:**

It was surprising to see how many non-Japanese runners would take off and throw away their windbreakers or jackets as soon as the race started. At the starting point, a huge pile of donated clothing quickly formed—it looked like a mountain! Japanese runners, on the other hand, didn’t really discard their clothes; many chose to carry them by hand instead.

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**Q: Could you share your favorite sound and your least favorite sound?**

**A:**

I love the sound of birds chirping—it’s very soothing. On the other hand, I can’t stand loud, disruptive noises. I also dislike it when there are too many people talking loudly at once; that kind of noisy chatter really bothers me.

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**Q: Have you ever noticed a big difference between a photo advertisement and the actual product?**

**A:**

This isn’t exactly an advertisement, but I’ve been disappointed when online English tutors look very different from their profile photos. Sometimes the difference is so big, it's surprising. On the flip side, when someone looks even better in person than their profile picture, it makes me want to talk with them more.

こんなにおもろいのに、なんで涙が出るんか、ほんまわからんわ〜！

これ、年のせいで片付けてええ問題ちゃうんちゃう？

しのぶセンセや東野圭吾センセのまわりにおる人らの温かさが、心にグッと沁みてくるんよなぁ。

今朝なんか、西上心太先生の解説と分析で、目の奥ジンジンしてきてもうてん。

一回、眼底出血してるからな、目ぇ痛なるんはホンマ困るんよ…。

それにしても、圭吾さん、しのぶセンセこれで終わりなん？

なんや、めっちゃ寂しいやんか。

西上先生も言うてはったけど、新藤刑事との今後の関係とか、ちょっと教えてほしいわぁ。

まあ、これ1996年の作品らしいし、しゃあないか…。

あの頃、私もちょっと若かったなぁ〜。

どんな時代でも、思いやれる仲間がいるって、ほんま幸せなことやと思う。

私はな、人に優しゅうされたら、それだけで泣いてまうタイプなんよ。

物語の中でも、人と人のつながりが温かかったら、心がギュッとなってまう。

これ、愛に飢えてんのかな？笑

正直に言うたら、『浪花少年探偵団』の方が、話としてはおもろかったと思うわ。

でもな、しのぶセンセに「ほな、さいなら」って思いながらも、「そんなアホな〜！」ってたくさん笑わせてもろたし、

なんや元気もらえたし、心がホワッと優しなったんよ。

東野センセ、ほんまにええ作品、ありがとうな。

This story was so funny—so why on earth did it make me cry?

I don’t think I can just chalk it up to getting older.

There’s a deep warmth in the people surrounding Shinobu-sensei and Keigo Higashino that really touched my heart.

This morning, reading literary critic Shinta Nishigami’s commentary and analysis made my eyes ache.

I’ve had a retinal hemorrhage before, so having my eyes hurt isn’t something I take lightly...

But still—Keigo-san, is this really the end of Shinobu-sensei?

That’s just too sad.

Like Mr. Shinta Nishigami, literary critic said, I’d love to know how things went with Detective Shindo.

Well, it *was* written back in 1996, so I guess it can’t be helped.

Back then, I was a bit younger myself.

No matter the era, having people around who truly care about each other—that’s such a blessing.

Me, I’m the kind of person who cries just from someone being kind to me.

So when I read stories where the warmth between people shines through, it really hits me in the heart.

Am I just starved for love or what? *lol*

Honestly, I found ’Naniwa Shonen Tanteidan’ a bit more fun in terms of plot.

But even though I had to say goodbye to Shinobu-sensei, I still laughed so much—thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

I felt energized. I felt soft-hearted again.

Keigo-sensei, thank you truly for such a beautiful piece of work.

Question:What's your go-to method for managing hay fever symptoms during spring?

Response:

I can't stop my runny nose because of hay fever, and my eyes feel itchy too. I think it's because my body is really sensitive to seasonal changes. I'm wearing a mask and pollen protection goggles. 

The weather forecast said there will be yellow dust in the air, so I’ll dry my laundry indoors.

Question:What's a cherished spring memory from your childhood?

Response:

Okay, speaking of my cherished spring memory...

What comes to mind is the memory of playing in the rice field before planting rice. When I was a student in elementary school, during spring holidays I went to the

place where my grandfather and grandmother lived.

A rural area with rice fields.The rice field became a playground for children before planting.

We played for long hours with friends there.It’s an impressive memory from childhood. Sometimes my friends even fell into the manure pit. ha ha

Question: If you could invite any historical figure to a ohanami picnic, who would it be, and why?

Response:

I want to see and talk with Oda Nobunaga.

Last month I went to Gifu Prefecture,

There was a hill about 400 meters high.

I like Oda Nobunaga, and I’d like to hear about his regrets.

Because he was assassinated by one of his retainers.

I want to ask him what he was thinking at that moment—what ambitions or regrets he had.

I really want to meet and talk with him.

Question:What’s a traditional remedy or practice from your culture that you find effective?

Response:

I can’t talk about anything too technical, but I’ve heard that YOMOGI:mugwort was traditionally used in 湿布：poultices.

I also like yomogi rice dumplings.

I think mugwort is good for your health.

*回答はすべてAIによる修正後のものです。*

I started watching the drama *“Futekisetsu ni mo Hodo ga Aru”* on Netflix at the end of last year, and today I finally watched the last episode. Episodes 9 and 10 were especially touching — I was hugging a pack of tissues while watching.

Sadawo Abe, who stars in the show, actually graduated from the same junior high school as my husband and me. He’s quite a bit younger, but still, it's a fun connection. Also, the character Sakae Sakisaka, played by Yo Yoshida, is portrayed as an elementary school student living in Matsudo in the drama — and that made me feel an extra connection too.

The script is really well done. I know all dramas require a lot of research into the era and setting, but the depiction of 1986 felt so nostalgic. The way the show handles gender issues and compliance is also spot on — I was honestly impressed.

It made me realize there are actually a lot of great dramas out there that I’ve been missing. Apparently, there's going to be a special episode airing this spring. Since spring is just around the corner, I’m super excited for it!

「ドラマ不適切にもほどがある」を昨年末からNetflix見始めて本日最終回を観終えた。９話と１０話は、ことのほか感動したわ。ティッシュの袋抱えながら観ました。阿部サダヲさんは、私たち夫婦と同じ中学の卒業生。だいぶ後輩になりますが。そして、吉田羊さん演じる向坂サカエさんは、ドラマ内で松戸市内の小学生だった設定。そんなことも私は、繋がりを感じて嬉しい。脚本がよくできているなぁ。どんなドラマも時代や背景のリサーチは相当するのだろうけれど、昭和６１年の描写が本当に懐かしい。ジェンダーイシューやコンプライアンスに関しての取り上げ方もいいところをついているなぁと感心。面白いドラマ、意外とたくさんあるってことに、今頃気づいた。「不適切にもほどがある」は、今年春にスペシャルを放送するとか。春ということはそろそろだ。楽しみ、楽しみ。

いや〜、めっちゃおもろかったわぁ〜！！

ラストはジワ〜っときて、ちょっと目がうるんじゃった。人情っていいなぁって、改めて思った作品。

解説で宮部みゆきさんも言ってたけど、大阪弁のパワーって本当にすごい。

物語の中でも大阪弁がめちゃくちゃ効いてて、これが標準語だったら、あのテンポや熱量は出なかったかも。

しのぶ先生と子どもたちのやりとりとか、新藤刑事との絡みとか、大阪弁があるからこそのスピード感と臨場感！

読んでて本当に会話が生き生きしてて、引き込まれた〜。

大阪弁って憧れるけど、すぐに話せる感じじゃないんだよね。でも、めっちゃ魅力的！！

これはもう、大阪行きたなるやんか。

せやけど、読んでたらますます大阪の人ってええなぁって思うわ。

……って、また調子乗ってたら「せっかちやなぁ、堪忍してや」って言われそうやな。笑

Chat GPTに大阪弁のニュアンスをいれた英文を作ってもらいました　🤣

**Just finished *Brave Story of the Naniwa Boys*!**

Man, **that was a fun read!!**

The ending got me a little teary-eyed… full of heart and warmth. It really hit me.

Like Miyuki Miyabe mentioned in the afterword, the Osaka dialect has *real power*.

In the story, it plays such a big role — if it were in standard Japanese, I don’t think it would’ve pulled me in the same way.

The banter between Ms. Shinobu and the boys, and between the boys and Detective Shindo — it’s got this crazy good rhythm and energy, all thanks to the Osaka dialect.

You can feel the conversations *alive* on the page!

I seriously admire Osaka-ben. It’s not something you can just pick up and speak overnight, but man, it’s so cool and full of charm!

Now I’ve totally got the itch to visit Osaka.

And honestly, the more I read, the more I think — people from Osaka seem pretty awesome.

…But if I keep rambling like this, I’ll probably hear, “You’re so impatient! Cut me some slack, will ya?” 😂

Question:Did you watch the MLB game the other day?

Speaker 1

 Speaking of baseball, it's definitely a hot topic right now—especially the MLB game.Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch it live.I only saw the TV news.I did catch highlights from the second game, where Ohtani hit a home run.Honestly, I really wanted to see that live.

But the media didn’t show that scene very often.Instead, they showed unrelated stuff—like some MLB players going on sightseeing tours in Japan.Eventually, I managed to find footage of Ohtani’s home run.

Speaker 2

Of course I watched!Both the first and second games.I was so excited—three Japanese players were in the spotlight: Ohtani with the Dodgers, and Imanaga and Suzuki with the Cubs.

Ohtani hit a home run in the second game.Apparently, according to social media, the ball even hit the Tokyo Dome ceiling before landing in the audience.So many Japanese people expected a home run from him—and he delivered.He did an amazing job.

Question 2:What’s something you’ve found troublesome or bothersome lately?

That’s an easy question for me. I tried to cancel an online subscription. But as you may know, it’s really hard to figure out how. The procedure is designed to be confusing for most people. Sometimes, you can’t even find the cancellation option, so people just give up. Some companies are starting to make it easier—that’s the trend in subscriptions. 

Question 3:

Is the tissue you use at home the box type or the non-box type? And why?

These days, I use non-box type tissues. When I use a box, I have to break it down and recycle the cardboard, which is troublesome. The non-box type comes wrapped in plastic, and it's cheaper. I can also carry it anywhere easily. It’s more useful. So now, I always buy the non-box type. Though, sometimes I worry I use too many tissues with plastic packaging.

Question:Do you believe in the "three-second rule"?

At lunchtime, my students would often drop something—like bread or an orange.As for the “three-second rule,” I think it depends on the student.When I saw someone pick up and eat food they had dropped, I didn’t say anything.

Question:What’s something that makes you feel happy or rich inside—without spending money?

Actually, this morning my daughter posted a video of my granddaughter practicing backflips.She’s seven years old and has been taking gymnastics classes since she was five.When she was five, she could already do a cartwheel.Now, she can do a beautiful back handspring, and she’s practicing backflips.She’s really enjoying it, and that makes me happy.

Question:Have you ever seen sumo wrestling live? At the Kokugikan or elsewhere?

Yes, I’ve been to the Kokugikan.There were many foreign visitors.

I have knee pain, so I couldn’t sit in the traditional box seating (桟敷).It’s hard for me to sit like that, so I chose a chair seat.Still, I was able to enjoy watching sumo.

I'd like to share a few useful expressions we came across yesterday.　😀

three-second rule 

depends on the person 

insisted it’s okay 

makes me feel rich inside

back handspring / backflip 

has great potential 

box seating (sajiki) 

promised meeting time

I try to move my body for my health

東野圭吾さんが31歳のときに書いた作品、『十字屋敷のピエロ』。

ピエロの視点から描かれているのが新鮮で、「よくこんなアイディア思いつくなぁ」と感心。これは、東野作品全般に感じることでもあります。

でも正直、今回はちょっと珍しく、私の“favorite”には入りませんでした。

読み終えたあと、なぜか少し疲れてしまって。🤭

登場人物が多くて覚えるのが一苦労。年齢のせいかなぁ

それと、後半になると、あの軽やかで洒脱な語り口が、少し影を潜めていたような気がします。（※あくまで他の作品と比べて、ですが）

さらに欲を言えば、『流星の絆』『容疑者Xの献身』『ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟』『クスノキの女神』『時生』、そして加賀恭一郎シリーズやガリレオシリーズのような「ページをめくる手が止まらない感じ」と「人間ドラマとしての深み」が、今作ではやや控えめだったかな、と。← なんだか偉そうでごめんなさい😉

それから、東野さんの作品には“ハイソ”な家庭の話が時々出てきますが、そういう場面に出てくる女性の言葉遣いって、ちょっと独特？私自身、そういう世界に住んだこともないし、あまりピンと来ないのかもしれません。

とはいえ、やっぱり東野圭吾さんはすごい。毎回予想を裏切る展開には驚かされるし、作品を次々に生み出すスピードにも圧倒されます。

アイディアが出にくい時期には、身近な出来事やネタに頼ることもあるみたいですが、それすらも面白くしてしまう発想力には尊敬しかありません。いったい、どれだけのアイディアが頭の中に詰まっているんだろう。

才能のある人って、本当にうらやましい。

読みながら、「次のポッドキャスト、東野圭吾さん特集にしようかなぁ」とぼんやり考えてました。

今日からは、また気軽に読めそうな“面白ネタ”系の本を読んでます。😀

"The Pierrot in the Cross Mansion" is a novel written by Keigo Higashino when he was 31.

The story being told from the Pierrot’s point of view was fresh and original. I kept thinking, “How does he come up with this stuff?” — something I often wonder with all his works.

That said… to be honest, this one wasn’t my favorite.

I actually felt kind of tired after finishing it. 🤭

It was hard to keep track of all the characters — maybe that’s just my age showing.

In the second half, I felt like it lacked that light, witty touch that Higashino often has. (At least compared to his other books.)

And if I’m being picky, I think it was missing the page-turning tension and deep emotional layers that I loved in The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, The Devotion of Suspect X, The Goddess of the Kusu Tree,Toki-o, the Kyoichiro Kaga series, and the Galileo series. ← Okay, I know I sound a little too demanding. 😉

Also, in some of his stories that deal with upper-class families, the way the women speak feels a bit... stylized? Maybe it's just because I’ve never experienced that kind of world, so it doesn’t resonate with me as much.

That said, I still think Higashino is amazing.The twists are always surprising, and the sheer speed at which he creates new stories is mind-blowing.

I’ve heard that when he’s going through a phase where ideas are hard to come by, he draws inspiration from small things around him. Even so, the way he turns those into gripping stories is something I deeply admire.

How many ideas does he have in that brain of his, seriously?

I can’t help but envy people with that kind of talent.

While reading, I even started thinking… maybe I should do a podcast episode about Keigo Higashino next.

For now, I’m moving on to something a little more light-hearted and fun.

Have you had a moment recently where you thought, "Oh no, I really messed up!"? If so, mind sharing?

最近、「やっちまったなあ」と言うことはありましたか？あったら、シェアしてください。

Speaker 4:

Okay, so here's our ultimate “we messed up big time” story.

My husband wears a hearing aid. One day, he came down with a nasty cold — and I mean *nasty*. He was blowing his nose non-stop, tissue after tissue. And instead of throwing them away properly, he just started piling them up on the table. Gross, right?

Well, at some point, he took off his hearing aid and left it on the table. But then, without realizing, he kept tossing used tissues on top of it. He completely forgot the hearing aid was even there.

Then *I* came along, saw this disgusting mountain of used tissues, and thought,

“Ugh, what is this mess?!”

So, naturally, I grabbed the whole pile — no questions asked — and dumped it straight in the trash bin. And just to be a responsible adult, I took the garbage down to the condo's collection area.

Perfect timing, of course — the garbage truck showed up that day and off it went… all the way to the city incinerator.

Later, we were looking for the hearing aid and suddenly it hit us.

That’s when the horror set in.

Yep — we’d thrown it away. Or more accurately, we had it *professionally incinerated*.

We were speechless. It had only been a month since he bought it, and it cost nearly 500,000 yen!

Total panic.

But! There was a tiny light at the end of the tunnel — the hearing aid was still under warranty. So, unbelievably, he was able to get a replacement.

He was SO lucky.

And that, my friends, is our “we really messed up” moment.

。。。とまぁ、AIの力を借りるとここまで英語ネイティブが書いた話みたいになります。　笑

ワークショップ中は、もちろんこんな風に英語を操れません。😅

<<Other Questions>>

Do you ever go back and read notes you wrote for studying?

勉強のために書き留めておいたノートを見返すことはありますか？

How confident are you in your ability to stand on one foot with your eyes closed?

目をつぶって片足立ちをすることに自信はありますか？

Have you ever worn your clothes backwards or inside out and didn’t notice for a while?

洋服を前後、あるいは裏返しで着てしまい、しばらく気づかなかったことはありますか？

When changing out of your pajamas, do you start with the top or the bottom?

パジャマから洋服に着替える時、上から着替えますか、ボトムから着替えますか？

Is there a celebrity or public figure you randomly wonder, “I wonder how they’re doing these days?”

あの人最近どうしているんだろうとふと思う芸能人、有名人はいますか？

私の推理は殆どすべて外れた・・・　

殺人事件ではないので、推理っていわないかな。

まず、私の最初のリアクションは、「いや、それは、プロに事実を話すべきでしょう。」

それが一番犠牲になるものが少ないはずとメインの登場人物達を説得するような勢いで読んでた。

でも、危なっかしい橋を渡り、結果的には、この本の結末で、腑に落ちた。

巻末の映画版の主役広末涼子さんによれば、お話の最後は映画は、小説と少し違うらしい。

夫がこの本を読んだら、映画版を観よう。

「国盗り物語」で時間かかったから、久しぶりに泣いたなぁ。

東野さんの小説は、謎だけでなく人情でも感動させられるし、読みやすい。

さ、次の話が楽しみだ。

Most of my deductions were completely off...

Well, I guess you can't really call it "deduction" since it wasn't a murder mystery.

My initial reaction was: *“No, you really should tell the truth to the professionals.”*

I was reading it like I wanted to jump in and convince the main characters — that doing so would lead to the least harm.

Still, they chose a risky path... and in the end, the conclusion of the book made it all click into place for me.

According to Ryoko Hirosue, who stars in the movie adaptation mentioned at the end of the book, the film’s ending differs slightly from the novel’s.

Once my husband finishes reading this book, we'll watch the movie together.

*“It took me a while to get through *Kunitori Monogatari*, so this is the first time in a while I cried reading a book.”*

Higashino’s novels move you not only with mystery but also with deep emotion — and they’re such smooth reads.

Now, I can't wait to dive into the next story.

Question:

March 14th is known as Pi Day (3.14) in honor of the mathematical constant π (pi). Have you ever celebrated this day, perhaps by enjoying some pie?

数学の定数π（パイ）にちなみ、3月14日は「円周率の日（3.14）」として知られています。皆さんはこの日をパイ(焼き菓子)で祝ったことがありますか？

Speaker 1:

I know the word *pi* (π), but I can’t really imagine how people celebrate Pi Day.

What exactly are we celebrating?

*Pi* is the mathematical ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, but it’s also pronounced the same as *pie* — like the one you eat.

That’s why they’re connected.

I’ve never celebrated Pi Day before.

Maybe people eat pie — the dessert — to celebrate the connection between *pi* and *pie*.

Speaker 2:

Right, like pie or pie cake — baked pie! That’s a nice idea.

Actually, I remember watching a TV show a long time ago.

There was a boy on the program who memorized a huge number of decimal places of pi.

He was a genius, I think.

それから今日は面白いゲームもやりました。

We played a solo word association game — not like shiritori, but more like linking words based on ideas or images. 

For example: strawberry → red → mailbox → letter → stamp → price hike → inflation.