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The Pressure of Testing
Tokyo Juku follows an eighteen-year-old student in Japan who, while studying all night in her cram school, discovers one of her teachers has been murdered, leading to an investigation into the education system. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The main inspiration comes from talking with my students. Their struggles inspired me to write about them. I teach at a university, so hearing from my seminar students about what they’ve been through really made me rethink the Japanese educational system from their perspective. One of the largest problems is the pressure of testing. Students hate tests. I mean, really hate them! My job entails evaluation, but more as individual feedback than standardized testing as social gatekeeping. Over the years, when I tell people that I teach at a university, they often cast their eyes down and mumble the name of their school, a little embarrassed at their past failings. Or, just the opposite, very proudly. That’s a sad reaction to what should be a life-transforming experience. In the novel, I wanted to take my students’ stories, my observations, and others’ experiences and condense them into the struggles of the main character, Mana. Like most Japanese, she has to learn how to navigate treacherous educational waters. As an educator and a writer, I’m on the side of improvement, but that’s easier said than done.
How has character development for Detective Hiroshi Shimizu changed for you through the series?
Hiroshi has evolved through the series. In the first novel, he had just returned from America and found the detective job through a connection. He works the job reluctantly but gradually finds he is pretty good at it, despite being resistant to crime scenes and the grittier aspects of the job. He reconnects with his college girlfriend, moves in with her, and they start a family in the latest novel. That idea of fatherhood causes him great anxiety because of what he’s seen behind the curtain. Does he want to bring a child into the world he’s glimpsed while working in homicide? But he has a knack for finding the pattern in the chaos of cases, and he’s needed.
Was it important for you to deliver a moral to readers, or was it circumstantial to deliver an effective novel?
An effective novel comes first. The moral is something that occurs in readers’ minds. I think if you push a moral or make themes too explicit, it takes away from the beautiful ambiguity of reading. As a writer, I can nudge readers in specific directions, but they will draw their own conclusions. So, if you push a moral without a compelling story, it comes across as preachy. Nobody likes that. Readers have their own reactions to the characters’ conflicts, which might yield a moral they take away, but it might also be something more complex—a conclusion or understanding that doesn’t fit into the frame of a moral. The conflicts and confusions of characters are at the heart of an effective story. I focus on that. My job as a writer is to keep them turning pages, thinking, and enjoying the ride.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Detective Hiroshi Shimizu and the direction of the next book?
The next book will focus on the tourist industry, which has really taken off in Japan. I have culture shock—or maybe reverse culture shock—in parts of the city swamped with visitors from abroad. That’s changing the city. I’m not against that, but the influx of tourists and tourist money has not been clearly planned for. And much of Japan is highly planned. Japan is internationalizing, in good and bad ways, so that Hiroshi will be needed even more with his English and accounting skills. He’s got plenty more cases to work on.
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Eighteen-year-old Mana pulls an all-nighter at her juku, a private Japanese cram school that specializes in helping students pass the once-a-year exams. She failed the year before but feels sure she’ll get it the second time—if she can stay awake. The Japanese saying, “Four pass, five fail,” presses her to sleep just four hours a day, and study the rest.
When she wakes up in the middle of the night, head pillowed on her notes, she takes a break down the silent hallway. A light comes from an empty classroom, and still sleepy, she pushes open the door to discover something not covered in her textbooks. Her juku teacher, the one who got her going again, lies stabbed to death below the whiteboard, with the knife still in his chest and the AV table soaked in blood.
Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is called in, and though he’s usually the forensic accountant, not the lead detective, he’s put in charge of the case. With the help of colleagues old and new, he’s determined to find the killer before the media convicts the girl in the press, the new head of homicide pins it on her, or big money interests make her the scapegoat.
Hiroshi follows up on uncooperative witnesses, financial deceptions, and the sordid details of some teachers’ private lives. Even as he gets closer, the accumulating evidence feels meager amid the vastness of the education industry, and the pressures and profits of Japan’s incessant exams.
At the outset of the investigation, Hiroshi listens as an education ministry official lectures him on how education holds the nation together, but he soon discovers how it also pulls it apart, and how deadly a little learning can be.
Tokyo Juku
Tokyo Juku begins with a bang, literally and emotionally. A young student named Mana discovers her teacher dead in a cram school classroom, his body crumpled under the sterile glow of fluorescent lights. Detective Hiroshi Shimizu and his team step into a Tokyo dense with pressure, ambition, and secrets. What follows is a layered mystery that weaves together the cutthroat world of education, the hidden costs of success, and the loneliness tucked behind the city’s polished exterior. Author Michael Pronko takes what might seem like a simple murder case and turns it into a study of human drive, shame, and survival.
The writing pulled me in right away. Pronko’s style is sharp and cinematic. The scenes snap from one point of view to another like the cuts in a film, yet nothing feels rushed. The descriptions of Tokyo at night, its cram schools glowing like lanterns, its streets humming with ambition, feel both beautiful and sad. There’s something almost tender about how he writes the city, even when it’s cruel. What I liked most was how the story balanced the crime with emotion. The mystery kept me guessing, but it was the characters’ quiet struggles, the overworked teachers, the anxious students, the tired detectives, that stuck with me. They all felt painfully real, like people you might pass on a crowded train and never think twice about.
Pronko dives deep into conversations and inner thoughts, and sometimes I wanted the story to move faster. But even then, I couldn’t stop reading. I liked how he made me feel the weight of every decision, every word unsaid. The book doesn’t just show a crime; it shows what happens to people who live inside constant expectation. It’s not only about murder, it’s about burnout, ambition, and how easily a person can crack under the strain. The writing feels clean but heavy with meaning, and that balance hit me hard.
Tokyo Juku isn’t just a detective story; it’s a mirror held up to modern Tokyo and anyone chasing success at any cost. I’d recommend it to readers who love smart mysteries with heart, and to anyone who enjoys books that make you sit back and think after you close them. It’s perfect for fans of slow-burn suspense, city stories, and those who don’t mind a little soul-searching between the clues.
Pages: 314 | ASIN : B0FLW78XTZ
Jazz Crazy
A Guide to Jazz in Japan maps out the complex, pulsing scene of Japanese jazz with detailed entries on clubs, musicians, jam spots, and the culture that surrounds them. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I’ve spent a lot of time at jazz clubs in Tokyo and Yokohama and have always found it fascinating. After writing for various publications, including my own website, I wanted to consolidate the most important information, opinions, and recommendations to share with others. It’s an exciting world, and a side of Japanese culture that most people usually don’t experience. I also find it a real contrast with some other parts of Japanese arts, but in very interesting ways. For me, it’s a culmination of my writing and reporting over many years, as well as my passion for not just jazz, but music in general.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted to share how big the jazz scene is. I focused mainly on Tokyo and Yokohama, but the whole of Japan is quite jazz-crazy. I always thought the jazz scene would gradually disappear as people stayed home to watch TV. I worried the pandemic would wipe out the clubs. However, overall, it has been resilient and is at its most vibrant ever now. I also wanted to show how the character of the jazz scene has changed. It used to be for whiskey-drinking, cigarette-smoking salarymen, but now jazz clubs are filled with all kinds of people, all ages, various interests. Having more women musicians is another significant change. And all the players are better than ever. Japanese culture can sometimes seem imitatively creative, and jazz is certainly an African American invention. However, Japanese jazz improvisation shows a deeply creative spirit that surprises me every time I see it in action.
What makes the jazz scene unique in Japan compared to other countries?
It’s bigger. I’ve been to many large cities around the world, and all of them have a jazz scene, but Tokyo and Yokohama have over a hundred clubs with live jazz every evening. The scale is immense. There are also numerous local neighborhood clubs, which you’d mainly go to if you live close by. Distances are large in Tokyo, too, so having a club near the station where you live is welcome. There is tremendous variation, with all styles and forms of jazz represented in different clubs. Many of them are very inventive, while others are progressive, and a core group remains very traditional. That makes for a great mix and great variety on any given evening. Japanese culture has a traditional undertwo to it, so that forms of expression, music, art, cuisine, film, or whatever, have staying power. Luckily, that applies to jazz too, so you often hear very traditional jazz. However, younger players, and some of the stalwarts from the 1960s, play very cutting-edge jazz. It’s that tension that makes it unique.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I think the book serves as a guidebook, but it’s also filled with observations about the relationship between jazz and Japanese culture. Even if you’re not visiting, there’s a lot in there. As an observer and writer for so many years, there are many things I love here, a few I really can’t stand, but a lot more I find fascinating. I hope the book will provide visitors with an opportunity to explore beyond the usual tourist spots (which are often great, albeit crowded at times) and gain a deeper understanding of the culture from a different perspective. I want readers to understand the creative spirit that’s packed inside Japanese jazz. It’s an interesting side of Japan that’s not exactly hidden, but wonderful to discover.
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With bonus essays on Japan’s unique jazz history, culture, and community, A Guide to Jazz in Japan helps you explore and understand one of the largest and most vibrant jazz scenes in the world. From hip backstreet clubs to talented musicians, the practical information and informed suggestions help make your trip—or your life—in Japan more interesting, fun, informed—and jazzier.
A Guide to Jazz in Japan
Michael Pronko’s A Guide to Jazz in Japan is more than just a directory of Tokyo’s jazz clubs—it’s a love letter to a city’s hidden rhythm. The book maps out the complex, pulsing scene of Japanese jazz with detailed entries on clubs, musicians, jam spots, and the culture that surrounds them. It’s part guidebook, part memoir, and part cultural essay, told with the warmth of someone who’s not only observed this world for decades but been deeply moved by it. From intimate back-alley venues in Kichijoji to storied mainstays like Shinjuku’s Pit Inn, Pronko captures the flavor of a scene that lives in shadows, thrives in basements, and beats with an energy all its own.
What struck me most was the clarity and sincerity of Pronko’s voice. He doesn’t write from a distance. He writes like someone who’s spent years leaning on club counters, sipping whisky, letting drums and saxophones rattle his bones. The descriptions of venues are vivid, practical, and full of soul. There’s no marketing gloss here. He tells you when a club’s cramped, when the food’s just okay, when you’ll need to duck past the bassist to get in. That honesty makes the whole book feel trustworthy. His passion for the music and the people who play it bubbles through every sentence.
But it’s the cultural insight that really elevates the book. Pronko dives deep into why jazz has taken root in Japan in such a powerful way—how the quiet devotion of its fans mirrors the precision of the music, how musicians practice and play with a kind of reverent intensity, how clubs have become sanctuaries of expression in a society that prizes decorum. The essays toward the end of the book, especially those on the history of jazz in Japan and its fit within the broader cultural landscape, are fascinating. He writes with affection, but not blind admiration. He notes the silences, the exclusions, the places still hidden from outsiders. It’s generous and sharp all at once.
I’d recommend A Guide to Jazz in Japan to anyone curious about music, travel, or Japanese culture. Jazz lovers will find it invaluable, like a backstage pass to a thriving, undersung world. But even if you’ve never set foot in a club, you’ll find something to love here. The writing sings, the details spark, and the emotion lingers. This is a guidebook, yes, but it’s also a beautiful meditation on place, passion, and the way music makes a foreign land feel like home.
Pages: 358 | ASIN : B0DZZCSXVM
Shitamachi Scam
Michael Pronko’s latest novel presents a compelling and intricately crafted crime story centered around Detective Hiroshi and his team as they navigate the complexities of a chilling case. The narrative delves into the investigation of a ruthless group of scammers who prey specifically on the retired and elderly, aiming to deceitfully strip them of their life savings. As the story unfolds, Hiroshi skillfully connects a series of murders to these fraudsters, leading to an in-depth and gripping inquiry.
The novel adeptly weaves various incidents, all tracing back to the same group, showcasing Hiroshi and his colleagues’ determination to unravel and halt the nefarious activities of these criminals. Pronko’s writing style is particularly noteworthy. His insightful and detailed prose engages the reader, maintaining a sense of intrigue throughout the narrative. Moreover, his vivid portrayal of Tokyo serves as an immersive backdrop and enriches the reader’s experience, bringing the story’s setting to life with remarkable clarity. The theme of the novel resonates deeply, as it mirrors a real-world issue – the exploitation of the elderly by scammers. Pronko addresses this sensitive topic with a nuanced and thoughtful approach, making the story entertaining and meaningful. The relevance of this theme may strike a chord with many readers, adding a layer of realism to the intriguing plot.
Shitamachi Scam is a well-crafted noir crime novel that combines a suspenseful storyline, rich character development, and a profound understanding of a significant societal issue. His skillful storytelling captivates and enlightens, making this book a noteworthy addition to the genre.
Pages: 336 | ASIN : B0C7NZT7B1
Greed Trickles Down
Azabu Getaway follows a detective in Japan who investigates a murder and kidnapping. This case takes the detective into a dark world of greed, and he must find the girls before more violence occurs. What was the inspiration for the mystery in your story?
I was reading all these articles about how wealthy businesses and individuals were moving their money overseas to avoid taxes, and it really irritated me. Most people stumble around, complain, and pay their taxes, but some feel the need to avoid paying any tax at all. They really got away with it, so it all seemed so simple and so unfair. I wanted to look at how that system affects ordinary people, and what it means. I don’t believe in any economic trickle-down theories, but I’m sure that greed trickles down. I also wanted to look at how non-Japanese live in Tokyo, and how they integrate into life or fail to. That’s a topic close to home for me. So, all of that mixed together into this mystery about marriage and crime.
With five books (so far) for Detective Hiroshi, he has faced a number of unique and creative adversaries. Where do you get your inspiration for the villains in your novels?
I’d like to say the inspiration is outside of me, but I think all of us have some degree of villainy lurking inside of us. One of the problems of the media is they don’t go into the motivations of criminals, so that’s why novels are so important, to give us a more rounded and complex view of why crime happens. I don’t think it’s about taking a crime and putting that into a character. It goes both ways. Usually, I start by wondering what kind of person would do these terrible things and then think about why. In that sense, Detective Hiroshi is not fighting crime but fighting individuals. The adversaries are very good at what they do, even though they do horrible things. So, I imagine how that kind of person would think or act, and then I ratchet it up a level or two.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I often rewrite while I’m commuting. I try to find a not-too-scrunched space on the train or at least with enough room to move my right hand, which isn’t easy on Tokyo trains. And then I pull out a pen and work over a few printed pages. Fairly old school, but the paper printout seems to give space to the words and makes them special. Writing on the train helps me see the flow of words differently. I have to finish the chapter before the last stop. When I get home, or to my office, I type the changes in and print them out for the next commute. It seems to help me focus.
Will you be continuing the Detective Hiroshi series, or do you have any new series planned?
I have several more in the series outlined, so I’ll finish those. There is a new detective, Ishii, and Hiroshi will have some changes in his home life. I do have another new series planned, one written in the first person, and also set in Tokyo, but it’s still in the planning stages. I’ll probably work on two historical standalone mysteries I’ve been researching before I start that new series, though. I’ll squeeze in another collection of non-fiction essays about Tokyo life, too. Lots more to write!
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After the murder of a high-flying executive in one of Tokyo’s wealth management firms, Detective Hiroshi finds himself investigating the financial schemes that secure the money of Tokyo’s elite investors. His forensic accounting gets sidetracked, though, by a second murder and the abduction of two girls from the home of a hotshot wealth manager.
The abducted girls are the daughters of an international couple who seemed to have it all—a large apartment in the high-end Azabu district, top schools for the children, and a life of happy affluence. Their life falls apart and they are swept up in threats and pursuits for reasons they cannot fathom.
Tracking the money and tracking the two daughters leads Hiroshi into Tokyo’s murky financial past and outside Japan’s borders as he discovers how overseas investments and tax shelters are really managed.
Hiroshi works with Sakaguchi and Takamatsu and others on the homicide team, including an assertive new detective, as they confront greed and violence in one of the wealthiest cities in the world.
Azabu Getaway is the fifth novel in the award-winning Detective Hiroshi series.
“A series that’s only getting better.” Kirkus Reviews
“If there’s a better crime series set in Japan, I’ve not yet read it.” Crime Thriller Hound.
“Hiroshi is one of the most distinctive and intrepid detectives in contemporary crime fiction.” Best Thrillers.
“Fans of quality police procedurals will welcome more of Hiroshi.” Publishers Weekly
Azabu Getaway
Ripped away from the typical cases he could solve from the safety of his computers, Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is forced into a case with layers of secrets and dark histories. Along with fellow detectives Takamatsu and Ishii, they hurry to track down Patrick Walsh, who broke into his soon-to-be ex-wife’s home and whisked away their two daughters. But the plot thickens when Joseph Leung, CEO of the Nine Dragons, is found murdered in his office. Our brave group of detectives must solve the mystery of his murder and the abduction and how they are connected. But can they solve this complicated mystery before it’s too late?
Azabu Getaway by Michael Pronko is a murder mystery that takes place from different perspectives of the characters. We mainly follow Hiroshi Shimizu and Patrick Walsh and their different journeys in this captivating plot. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, Detective Hiroshi is an enjoyable reluctant hero, and Patrick is a caring father you can’t help rooting for. However, it is worth noting that the other detectives, Takamatsu and Ishii, won my heart completely. Takamatsu is a character I grew fond of because of his laid-back, sometimes snarky attitude and humor, which complemented rookie Detective Ishii’s easy-going attitude, and her tenacity and intelligence. Truly, all the characters were interesting and played a role in this adrenaline-inducing story.
This was an incredible story that kept me interested in every new development. The only critique I would give is that the ending seemed rushed, but that would be the only thing I would fix. Everything else was great, with excellent grammar, world-building, and intriguing characters you grow fond of. I think it’s a great story if you’re seeking a murder mystery to keep you interested.
Azabu Getaway (Detective Hiroshi Series Book 5) is a fast-paced, thrilling crime novel that gives readers an excellent mystery to follow and memorable characters they will want to get to know more about. Readers will enjoy the adventure they are taken on in Japan as the hunt for a killer takes the detective team into a world of wealth, greed, and violence.
Pages: 324 | ASIN : B0B4FMYGC4
What Can That Do To People?
Tokyo Zangyo follows Detective Hiroshi into Tokyo’s intense corporate world to solve the mystery of the death of a top executive. What inspired you to take Hiroshi into Tokyo’s corporate world in this novel?
The news is filled with stories of suicides from overwork, depression from work-related stress, many forms of harassment, the job-quitting rate. The large companies in Japan have long wielded tremendous power all through society. It affects everything. My students, for example, devote most of their energy in the last year and a half of university to getting into a company. They skip classes for interviews, ask for extensions on assignments, and generally freak out, all in the pursuit of a good job. I’ve heard some startling and sad stories from my students about their experiences after they’ve started working. When classmates get together after they graduate and start working, they often invite me to come along. It’s great to see them mature and grow into their lives. But also, after a few drinks, the truth about their workplaces comes out. More often than not, the truth is pretty grim. The Japanese dream is to get a job in one of the big companies, and there’s a powerful and impressive side to Tokyo’s corporate world, of course, but the downside is more of the focus in this novel.
What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
One of the ideas is about the importance of work, its centrality to our lives. Many Japanese build lives around working and working only, so that they get cut off from other facets of life. It’s a kind of religion in some ways, or at least a set of sincerely held beliefs. The characters in the novel are pressured by those ideas and controlled by them. Japanese workplaces are very authoritarian in some ways, but quite democratic in others. As in all societies, some things work phenomenally well, but others are not very healthy. So, the novel explores those kinds of ideas through the characters and looks at the intensity of workplace pressure. What can that do to people?
How did the idea for the character’s motives come to fruition for you?
I think that almost all people want to be treated with respect at work and also to succeed. So, those are basic motives. They want to fit in and contribute, which is a strong motive in Japanese culture, but they also want to be themselves, to live freely. So, those conflicting motives can become very, very complicated. The characters in Tokyo Zangyo want a lot of things, but the system wants a lot of things from them in return. So, those conflicting motives are not easy to negotiate, and can drive people to extremes—suicide, murder, mental illness, and very strange ways of coping. The inner dynamic of the novel is having to figure out how to handle the pressure of work.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The story revolves around an international marriage in Tokyo. In Japan, after a divorce, custody of the children is usually awarded to the wife, and the husband can be denied all rights of visitation. Child abduction has become an issue as well, with one parent abducting the children and then fighting it out in the courts for years. And when there’s not enough money, or too much money, things can get a lot worse. It will be out in the summer of 2022.
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After a top-tier manager in Japan’s premier media company ends up dead in front of company headquarters, Detective Hiroshi enters the high-pressure, hard-driving world of Tokyo’s large corporations. Hiroshi quickly finds out the manager fell from the roof at the exact same spot as an employee suicide three years before.
With little more to go on, Hiroshi can’t tell if the manager’s death was a guilt-ridden suicide, a careless accident, or a grisly personnel decision. The only certainty is that Japanese workplaces rely on “zangyo,” unpaid overtime that drives employees to quit—or to kill.
Teaming up with his mentor Takamatasu, Hiroshi scours the off-record spending, lavish entertaining and unspoken agreements that keep Japan, Inc. running with brutal efficiency. Working overtime himself, Hiroshi probes the dark heart of Japanese business, a place he’s tried to avoid all his life.
Tokyo Zangyo is the fourth in the Detective Hiroshi series.
LITERARY TITAN 