is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

novel by author Shizuko Natsuki, originally published in 1982. It has been adapted into several

Japanese television drama , also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily. Format All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama serie ...

s and a film.

Plot

"I've stabbed Grandpa to death." With these words, rich heiress Chiyo Wada incriminated herself in the murder of her grandfather, Yohei Wada, the patriarch of a rich family owning a large conglomerate. Chiyo had brought along her friend Jane Prescott to spend the New Year holidays with her family: Yohei, grandmother Mine, grand-uncle Shigeru, mother Yoshie, stepfather Sawahiko, cousin Takuo, and Dr. Shohei Mazaki, who's rumored to be an illegitimate member of the family. When Yohei is killed, the investigation is undertaken by detectives Ukyo Nakazato and Katsubei Aiura, who have more questions than answers. Did Chiyo really murder her own grandfather, a known playboy who often groped her? Or was she set up by another family member? The answers will be decisive for the Wada family to stay together - or break apart...

Notes

*A few of the main characters had their names changed: *Shizuko Natsuki's original title ''Daburyū no Higeki'' is a tribute to

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City ...

's ''Tragedy of...'' novels of the 1930s, which ran from X to Z and had

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

as protagonist.

In other media

For the English version of the book, the Japanese character was replaced with the American character Jane Prescott. This character was not changed in audiovisual media adaptations, although Harumi Ichijō has varied degrees of relationship with the rich heiress depending on the adaptation.

TV drama

''Daburyū no Higeki'' was made into

TV drama In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular su ...

s in 1983, 1986, 2001, 2010 and 2012. The first four iterations were miniseries lasting no more than two episodes; the last iteration lasted 8 episodes weekly, the lowest average for a typical season drama.

Film

The novel was adapted into a film in 1984, directed by

Shinichiro Sawai was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Born in Hamamatsu, Sawai studied German at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Graduating in 1961, he joined the Toei Company as an assistant director and worked under such directors as ...

Bibliography

References

1982 Japanese novels Japanese crime novels Japanese novels adapted into films Ballantine Books books Novels set in Yamanashi Prefecture {{1980s-crime-novel-stub