The Window on the Fifth Floor

Edogawa Ranpo / 逸清Dec 2024

3.9

Word count: 59K words
Chapters: 32

Summary

In 1926 (the fifteenth year of the Taishō era), the Japanese magazine Shin Seinen decided to serialize a new work written as a relay by several leading authors of the day. Edogawa Ranpo was to write the "opening"—the crime scene—after which Hirabayashi Hatsunosuke, Mori Shitamura, Kōga Saburō, Kunieda Shiro and others would continue freely, with Kosakai Fuboku finally drawing the preceding text together to supply the "ending" solution. Because the main body following the "opening" was completed as a relay by five writers, the work was titled The Window on the Fifth Floor. And because each writer saw things from a different angle, the novel takes countless twists and turns; almost every character who appears falls under suspicion, and the ending left even the writers who had laid the groundwork exclaiming in surprise.

Editor's review

The Window on the Fifth Floor is a lively experiment in serial detective fiction. In the fifteenth year of the Taisho era, the Japanese magazine Shin Seinen asked Edogawa Ranpo to write the opening—the crime scene—after which Hirabayashi Hatsunosuke, Morinoya Shimura, Koga Saburo, Kunieda Shiro, and other masters continued the story freely; finally, Koizumi Fumio (小酒井不木) synthesized the preceding text to provide the solution. The five authors' differing perspectives keep the plot twisting; almost every character falls under suspicion, and even the authors who set up the earlier text were astonished by the ending. The pleasure of reading lies not only in solving the mystery but also in observing how each author picks up the clues left behind and plants their own foreshadowing—a game of narrative control and reader expectation. Suitable for detective fiction lovers, readers interested in intertextuality and the serial-writing form, and as a discussion text for writing classes or book clubs analyzing how multi-author serials sustain suspense and logic.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy honkaku detective fiction and the pleasure of puzzle-solving
Literary readers interested in multi-author serial writing experiments
Writing students who want to analyze narrative structure and foreshadowing
Groups looking for a discussion text for book clubs

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a single author's unified style
Those completely unfamiliar with early Showa-era Japanese detective fiction and unwilling to learn about it
Readers seeking only fast-paced thrills and unwilling to examine clues closely

Reading tips

While reading, note the new clues and doubts each author adds upon taking over, observing the traces of the serial.
At each twist, pause and guess the next direction yourself before comparing it with the following text.
After finishing the solution, look back at the opening to see which foreshadowings were actually used.
If used for a book club, discuss each author's narrative strategy section by section.

版权信息
江户川乱步（开端）
一
二
三
四
五
平林初之辅
六
七
八
九
十
森下雨村
十一
十二
十三
十四
甲贺三郎
十五
十六
国枝史郎
十七
十八
十九
二十
二十一
小酒井不木（终局）
二十二
二十三
二十四
二十五

FAQ

Why is this book called The Window on the Fifth Floor?

The title comes from the work's serial form: Edogawa Ranpo first wrote the opening—the crime scene—after which Hirabayashi Hatsunosuke, Morinoya Shimura, Koga Saburo, Kunieda Shiro, and others continued freely, and finally Koizumi Fumio synthesized the preceding text to provide the solution. Because the main text after the opening was completed relay-style by five authors, it is called The Window on the Fifth Floor.

Does multi-author serial writing make the plot chaotic?

According to the materials, each author focused on a different angle, making the plot endlessly varied; almost every character falls under suspicion, and even the authors who set up the earlier text were astonished by the ending. This shows that the serial instead created layer upon layer of twists. Readers can treat the different perspectives as sources of clues and keep revising their judgments as the text unfolds.

Do I need to know the history of Japanese detective fiction to read this book?

No specialized knowledge is required. Understanding the background of its serialization in Shin Seinen in the fifteenth year of the Taisho era helps in grasping the work's experimental nature, but the work itself centers on the crime scene and the serial puzzle-solving, so ordinary detective fiction readers can dive right in. For deeper reading, pay attention to how each author creates a turn when taking over.

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About the author

Edogawa Ranpo Author · Japanese · 1894–1965

Edogawa Ranpo, whose real name was Hirai Tarō, was born in Mie Prefecture, Japan, in 1894 and died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1965. He is a pioneer of Japanese detective fiction. In 1923 he entered the literary world with The Two-Sen Copper Coin and created the famous detective Akechi Kogorō; he founded the Japan Writers' Association of Mystery and the Edogawa Ranpo Prize, and is known as the father of Japanese detective fiction. His works span mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, and inspirational growth. Representative works include The Blind Beast, The D-Slope Murder Case: Akechi Kogorō Case 01, The Human Chair, Fangs: The Boy Detectives Club 05, The Boy Detectives Club, Ranpo's Masterpiece Short Stories (six volumes), and The Black Lizard: Akechi Kogorō Case 09. He was skilled at creating eerie atmospheres and exploring the dark and bizarre sides of human nature, exerting a profound influence on Japanese detective literature.

逸清 Author

Yi Qing is an author about whom little public information is available; six of the author's works are currently held in the collection. Judging from these titles, the writing falls roughly into two strands. The first is suspense and detective fiction, including The Strange Twenty Faces: Akechi Kogoro Case 11, Hell Clown: Akechi Kogoro Case 14, Dark Star: Akechi Kogoro Case 13 and The Window on the Fifth Floor, most of which revolve around the Akechi Kogoro detective series and show a clear orientation toward translated Japanese mystery fiction. The second strand covers classical poetry and foreign literature, such as One Hundred Selected Song Poems and the fifth volume of a selection of Ranpo's short stories, Caterpillar. The works are commonly classified under suspense and detective fiction, foreign literature and classical poetry, indicating a cross-genre interest that links genre-fiction translation with the popularization of classical verse. Since dates of birth and death, nationality and educational background are unrecorded, the author's personal history cannot be described in detail; the existing works nonetheless show considerable engagement with editing and translating detective fiction and with poetry anthologies, offering Chinese readers accessible entry points to these works.