Arimasa Osawa (大沢在昌, Ōsawa Arimasa, born 8 March 1956) is a Japanese writer of hardboiled fiction and thrillers. He served as the 12th President of the Mystery Writers of Japan from 2005 to 2009.

Works in English translation

Detective Samejima series (Shinjuku Shark series)

• Shinjuku Shark (original title: Shinjuku-Zame), trans. Andrew Clare (Vertical, 2007)^[1]
• The Poison Ape (original title: Doku-Zaru: Shinjuku-Zame 2), trans. Deborah Iwabuchi (Vertical, 2008)^[2]

"Same" or "zame" means "shark" in English.

Essay

• My Favourite Mystery, "The Darkest Hour" by William P. McGivern (Mystery Writers of Japan, Inc. [1])

Awards

• 1978 – Shosetsu Suiri New Writers Prize: Kanshō no Machikado (Sentimental Streets) (short story)
• 1991 – Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel: Shinjuku Shark
• 1991 – Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers: Shinjuku Shark
• 1991 – The Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year (Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 1991): Shinjuku Shark
• 1993 – Naoki Prize: Mugen Ningyō: Shinjuku-Zame 4 (Poisoning Doll: Shinjuku Shark 4)
• 2000 – Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize: Kokoro de wa Omosugiru (The Heart Is Too Heavy)
• 2001 – Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize: Yamisaki Annainin (Guide into Darkness)
• 2004 – Shibata Renzaburo Prize: Pandora Airando (Pandora Island ^[3])
• 2006 – Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize: Ōkami-Bana: Shinjuku-Zame 9 (The Werewolf: Shinjuku Shark 9)
• 2010 – Japan Mystery Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement
• 2011 – Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize: Kizuna Kairō: Shinjuku-Zame 10 (Ties That Bind: Shinjuku Shark 10)

Main works

Private detective Ko Sakuma series

• Novels
  • Hyōteki Sōro (標的走路), 1980
  • Tsuisekisha no Kettō (追跡者の血統), 1986
  • Yukihotaru (雪蛍), 1996
  • Kokoro de wa Omosugiru (心では重すぎる), 2000
• Short story collections
  • Kanshō no Machikado (感傷の街角), 1982
  • Hyōhaku no Machikado (漂泊の街角), 1985

Arbeit detective series

1. Arubaito Ai (アルバイト探偵), 1986 (short story collection)
2. Arubaito Ai: Chōdokushi o Sagase (アルバイト探偵 調毒師を捜せ), 1987 (novel)
3. Joō-heika no Arubaito Ai (女王陛下のアルバイト探偵), 1988 (novel)
4. Fushigi no Kuni no Arubaito Ai (不思議の国のアルバイト探偵), 1989 (novel)
5. Arubaito Ai: Gōmon Yūenchi (アルバイト探偵 拷問遊園地), 1991 (novel)
6. Kaette kita Arubaito Ai (帰ってきたアルバイト探偵), 2004 (novel)

Detective Samejima series (Shinjuku Shark series)

• Novels
  1. Shinjuku-Zame (新宿鮫), 1990 (Shinjuku Shark, Vertical, 2007)
  2. Doku-Zaru: Shinjuku-Zame 2 (毒猿 新宿鮫II), 1991 (The Poison Ape, Vertical, 2008)
  3. Shikabane Ran: Shinjuku-Zame 3 (屍蘭 新宿鮫III), 1993
  4. Mugen Ningyō: Shinjuku-Zame 4 (無間人形 新宿鮫IV), 1993
  5. Honō Sanagi: Shinjuku-Zame 5 (炎蛹 新宿鮫V), 1995
  6. Kōri Mai: Shinjuku-Zame 6 (氷舞 新宿鮫VI), 1997
  7. Haiya: Shinjuku-Zame 7 (灰夜 新宿鮫VII), 2001
  8. Fūka Suimyaku: Shinjuku-Zame 8 (風化水脈 新宿鮫VIII), 2000
  9. Ōkami-Bana: Shinjuku-Zame 9 (狼花 新宿鮫IX), 2006
  10. Kizuna Kairō: Shinjuku-Zame 10 (絆回廊 新宿鮫X), 2011
• Short story collection
  • Samejima no Kao: Shinjuku-Zame Tampenshū (鮫島の貌 新宿鮫短編集), 2012

Standalone novels

• Yamisaki Annainin (闇先案内人), 2001
• Pandora Airando [Pandora Island] (パンドラ・アイランド), 2004