The Staircase

Unno JūzaMar 2025

3.6

Word count: 12K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Kōjin Furumiya, during his university days, developed an intense fascination with a young woman's calves while keeping watch on the stairs at Shinano-machi Station on the Shusen line. After graduation, he joins the National Research Institute and encounters the woman again: Michiko Kyōmachi. At the institute, Director Dr. Yoshikawa is murdered, and Furumiya is drawn into the investigation. Shirō Shinomiya, Miss Sawayama, and others all fall under suspicion. Furumiya uncovers several clues, yet the case remains shrouded in mystery. Moreover, Teacher Tomoeda's relationship with Michiko is equally enigmatic. So who is the murderer? Is Michiko connected to the case? And what complicated emotional entanglements lie between them? These questions await the reader's discovery.

Editor's review

Unno Jūza's The Staircase entwines a murder at a research institute with an almost obsessive personal fixation, producing a strangely clinging reading experience. The story begins with a university-era vigil on the stairs at Shinano-machi Station on the Shusen line: Kōjin Furumiya's powerful impression of a stranger's calves is reignited when he meets Michiko Kyōmachi again after joining the National Research Institute, and the murder of Director Dr. Yoshikawa drags this private emotion into a public investigation. Shirō Shinomiya, Miss Sawayama, and Teacher Tomoeda each fall under suspicion; the clues are scattered yet keep returning to the characters' relationships themselves. Its appeal lies not in a tightly contrived honkaku puzzle but in the juxtaposition of scientific rationality and private obsession under the prewar Shōwa atmosphere: the institute's cool order forms a tension with Furumiya's unspoken gaze. It suits readers interested in early Japanese detective fiction and urban-uncanny psychological description, and those who want a less tidy mystery with an ambiguous aftertaste. While reading, note how the narrator's descriptions of the female body serve the suspense, and the gap between the truth of the case and the truth of emotion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Japanese detective fiction from the prewar Shōwa period
Mystery readers interested in psychological suspense and tangled character relationships
Readers curious about Unno Jūza's non-science-fiction works
Readers tolerant of era-bound narration who value atmosphere over pure puzzle-solving

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer rigorous honkaku mystery with fairly planted and resolved clues
Readers sensitive to the male gaze in descriptions of women and wishing to avoid such content
Readers accustomed to fast pacing and strong twists who lack patience

Reading tips

Read it first as a psychological novel of character, then go back over the case clues; it will flow more smoothly.
Pay attention to where Furumiya's gaze on Michiko intersects with the investigation's progress—that is where the narrative weight lies.
After finishing, compare it with Unno Jūza's science-fiction short stories to see how the same author handles suspense differently.
If the first half feels slow, read up to the point where the institute murder occurs before deciding whether to continue.

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FAQ

Is this a typical honkaku mystery?

Not entirely. It has a murder, suspects, and clues, but the narrative weight leans more toward Kōjin Furumiya's psychology and emotional entanglement, and the puzzle-solving process is less tightly resolved than in typical honkaku. Reading it as a Shōwa psychological novel with mystery coloring will better match expectations.

I haven't read other works by Unno Jūza. Can I read this one directly?

Yes. This book is a standalone story and does not depend on prior events from other works. Still, knowing Unno Jūza's habit of combining scientific premises with popular suspense will make it easier to understand the period flavor of the institute setting and the characters' behavior.

Does the emotional thread affect the case reasoning?

Yes. Furumiya's fixation on Michiko and Teacher Tomoeda's mysterious relationship with Michiko are both part of the suspense and influence Furumiya's judgment of the clues. While reading, treat the emotional entanglement as part of the case's structure rather than a mere interlude.

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About the author

Unno Jūza Author · Japanese · 1897–1949

Unno Jūza (1897–1949), whose real name was Sano Shōichi, was born in Tokushima, Japan. He graduated from Waseda University with a degree in electrical engineering and worked as an engineer at the Electrical Testing Laboratory of the Ministry of Communications. He made his debut in 1928 with The Electric Bath Murder Case and is regarded as the pioneer of Japanese science fiction and sci-fi mystery writing. His work spans science fiction, mystery and detective fiction, and otherworldly settings. Representative works include Captive and The Earth Thief, as well as the Hokamura Sōroku detective series, including Lost in the Chihaya Mansion, Human Ash, The Reptile House Incident, The Vibrating Demon, and The Provincial Line Tram Sniper. Other works include Dimensional Drift: A Collection of Japanese Literary Science Fiction, The Earth Fortress, and The Living Intestines. The collection contains 50 of his works. He died of tuberculosis in 1949.