Joh Sasaki (佐々木 譲, Sasaki Jō, born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese writer and journalist, chiefly known for his historical fiction and mystery novels.^[1]

Joh Sasaki was born in Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan.^[2][3] He spent his early youth in Nakashibetsu City and later moved to Sapporo where he attended Tsukisamu High School. He released his first novel, Tekkihei, tonda (鉄騎兵、跳んだ), in 1979.^[4][5] Sasaki quickly established himself as a writer after winning the All Yomimono New Writers Prize for Tekkihei, tonda, which was also later adapted for the big screen.^[6] Today Sasaki is very widely known, and has written numerous works in genres including historical fiction, young adult fiction and police crime fiction, as well as TV crime drama adaptations.^[7][8]

In 2009, Sasaki won Japan's number one literary award, the Naoki Prize, for his work ja:廃墟に乞う Haikyo ni kou, and also holds many other literary awards.^{[9][10][11][12]} These days Sasaki is actively developing his stories for the stage in addition to directing a children's e-picture book project called Joh's Picture Book Project.^[13]

Joh Sasaki is well known in Japan as a social entertainment writer.^{[citation needed]} In his novel ja:真夜中の遠い彼方 Mayonaka no tooi kanata (later re-titled to ja:新宿のありふれた夜 Shinjuku no arifureta yoru), he depicts the underground lifestyles of the Japanese mafia, boat people, and illegal alien workers. In ja:夜にその名を呼べば Yoru ni sono na o yobeba, Sasaki portrays a chilling Cold War scene in a mystery set in Otaru, Hokkaido and Berlin, Germany. His police mystery thriller, ja:歌う警官 Utau keikan (later re-titled to ja:笑う警官 Warau keikan) was adapted for the big screen and provides an early setting for his later internationally acclaimed roman-fleuve novel ja:警官の血 Keikan no chi which was eventually adapted for television. Sasaki's ja:ベルリン飛行指令 Berlin hikō shimei (English title: Zero Over Berlin) garnered critical acclaim for telling a World War II story from the Japanese perspective; it focuses on a fly-by-night mission involving a Type Zero Fighter (Mitsubishi A6M Zero) secretly making its way from Japan all the way to Berlin at the request of the Luftwaffe.^{[14][15][16][17]} Zero Over Berlin is presently Sasaki's only novel translated into English.^[18]

• Zero Over Berlin (original title: Berlin Hikō Shirei): Vertical, 2004 (Translated by Hiroko Yoda with Matt Alt).

• 1979 ja:鉄騎兵、跳んだ Tekkihei, tonda: debut novel winning the All Yomimono New Writers Prize.
• 1989 ja:エトロフ発緊急電 Etorofu hatsu kinkyūden: novel winning the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize and Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize.
• 1994 ja:ストックホルムの密使 Stockholm no misshi: novel winning the Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize.
• 2002 ja:武揚伝 Buyōden: novel winning the Nitta Jirō Prize for Literature.
• 2008 ja:警官の血 Keikan no chi (The Policeman's Lineage^[19]): novel winning the first place in the "Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2008" and the Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize.
• 2009 ja:廃墟に乞う Haikyo ni kou (Prayer in the Ruins^[20]): novel winning the nationally acclaimed literary award Naoki Prize.

• World War II Trilogy Series
  • ja:ベルリン飛行指令 Berlin Hikō Shirei (Shincho Bunko, 1988., Shincho Bunko, 1993)
    • Manga adaptation by ja:望月三起也 Mochitzuki Mikiya
  • ja:エトロフ発緊急電 Etorofu Hatsu Kinkyūden (Shincho Bunko, 1989., Shincho Bunko, 1994., Futabasa, 2004)
    • TV drama adaptation: ja:エトロフ遥かなり Etorofu Harukanari
  • ja:ストックホルムの密使 Stockholm no Misshi (Shincho Bunko, 1994., Shincho Bunko, 1997)
• ja:ワシントン封印工作 Washington Fūin Kōsaku (Shincho Bunko, 1997., Shincho Bunko, 2000., Bunshu bunko, 2010)

• Ezochi (Hokkaido) Trilogy Series
  • ja:五稜郭残党伝 Goryōkaku Zantōden (Shūeisha Bunko, 1991., Shūeisha Bunko, 1994)
  • ja:雪よ荒野よ Yuki yo Kōya yo (Shūeisha Bunko, 1994., Shūeisha Bunko, 1997)
  • ja:北辰群盗録 Hokushingun Tōroku (Shūeisha Bunko, 1996., Shūeisha Bunko, 1999)
• Bakumatsu Trilogy Series
  • ja:武揚伝 Buyōden (Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., 2001., Nakakou Bunko, 2003)
  • ja:くろふね Kuro Fune (Kadokawa Shoten, 2003., Kadokawa Shoten, 2008)
  • ja:英龍伝 Eiryūden (Nikkei Masuta-zu Rensai Mikanko)
• ja:駿女 Shunme (Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., 2005., Nakakou Bunko, 2008)

• ja:道警シリーズ Dōkei Series
  • ja:うたう警官 Warau Keikan (Kadokawashunki Jimusho, 2004)
    • Revised: ja:笑う警官 Warau Keikan (Haruki Bunko, 2007)
    • TV drama adaptation: ja:笑う警官 Warau Keikan (2009)
  • ja:警察庁から来た男 Keisatsuchō kara Kita Otoko Kadokawashunki Jimusho, 2006., Haruki bunko, 2008)
  • ja:警官の紋章 Keikan no Monshō (Kadokawashunki Jimusho., 2008., Haruki Bunko, 2010)
  • ja:巡査の休日 Junsa no Kyūjitsu (Kadokawashunki Jimusho., 2009., Haruki Bunko, 2011)
    • TV drama adaptation: ja:巡査の休日 Junsa no Kyūjitsu: (2011)
  • ja:密売人 Mitsubainin (Kadokawashunki Jimusho., 2011)
• ja:駐在警官・川久保篤シリーズ Chūzai Keikan Series
  • ja:制服捜査 Seifuku Sōsa (Shinchō Bunko, 2006., Shinchō Bunko 2009)
  • ja:暴雪圏 Bōsetsuken (Shinchō Bunko, 2009)
• ja:警官の血 Keikan no Chi (Shinchō Bunko, 2007., Shinchō Bunko, 2010)
  • TV drama adaptation: ja:警官の血 Keikan no Chi (2009)
• ja:廃墟に乞う Haikyo ni Kou (Bungeishunju Ltd., 2009)

• ja:真夜中の遠い彼方 Mayonaka no Tooi Kanata (Daiwa shobō, 1984., Shūeisha Bunko, 1987., Tenzan bunko., 1992).
  • Revised: ja:新宿のありふれた夜 Shinjuku no Arifureta Yoru (Sukora Noberuzu, 1996., Kadokawa bunko, 1997）
  • Movie title: Ware ni Utsu Yōi Ari Ready to Shoot (Fusosha Publishing, 1990)

• ja:鉄騎兵、跳んだ Tekkihei, Tonda (Bungeishunju Ltd., 1980,. Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., 1986,. Bunshun Bunko, 2010)
  • Movie title: ja:鉄騎兵、跳んだ Tekkihei, Tonda (starring Junichi Ishida)
• ja:いつか風が見ていた Itsuka Kaze ga Miteita (CBS Sony, 1985)
  • Revised: ja:タイム・アタック Taimu Atakku (Shūeisha Bunko, 1988)
• ja:マンハッタンの美徳 Manhattan no Bitoku (Shūeisha Bunko, 1989)
• ja:サンクスギビング・ママ Sankusugibingu Mama (Switch Publishing Co., Ltd., 1992,. Shinchosha, 1995., Fusosha Bunko, 2008)
• ja:きょうも舗道にすれちがう Kyō mo Hodō ni Surechigau (Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., 1994,. Nakakou bunko, 2000)

• ja:死の色の封印 Shi no Iro no Fūin (Tokumanoberuzsu, 1984., Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., 1989)
• ja:白い殺戮者 Shiroi Sakurikusha (Tokumanoberusu, 1986., Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., 1991)
• ja:牙のある時間 Kiba no Aru Jikan (Magajinhausu, 1998., Haruki Bunko, 2000)

• ja:ユニット Yunitto (Bungeishunju Ltd., 2003., Bunshu Bunko, 2005)
  • TV drama adaptation: ja:ユニット Yunitto (2006)
• ja:カウントダウン Countdown (Mainichi Shinbunsha, 2010)
• ja:地層捜査 Chisō Shinsa (Bungeishunju, 2012)

• ja:冒険者カストロ Bōkensha kasutoro (Shūeisha Bunko, 2002., Shūeisha Bunko, 2005)
• ja:幕臣たちと技術立国 Bakushintachi to Gijutsu Rikkoku (Shūeisha Shinsho, 2006)
• ja:わが夕張 わがエトロフ Wa ga Yūbari waga Etorofu (Hokkaido Shinbunsha, 2008)

• Official website (in English)
• Official blog (in Japanese)
• J'Lit | Authors : Joh Sasaki | Books from Japan (in English)