<\/p>\n
\n\tStrange Maps<\/em>, <\/em>the latest work by the enigmatic horror-mystery author Uketsu, debuted at No. 1 on the inaugural all-genre list of the newly launched Billboard Japan Book Charts.<\/p>\n \n\tKnown for his distinctive storytelling style blending prose with an abundance of visual elements including diagrams, drawings, and illustrations, Uketsu has drawn attention not only in Japan but around the world for creating books that even people who don\u2019t usually read find immersive and accessible. The author\u2019s \u201cStrange\u201d series has surpassed 8.5 million copies in worldwide circulation, while Strange Pictures<\/em> has topped 2.1 million copies across 37 countries and regions, earning recognition as a \u201cglobal sketch million-seller.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe fourth entry in the series, Strange Maps<\/em>, interweaves text with more than 200 maps, unfolding against unsettling settings such as abandoned seaside settlements and weathered tunnels. The book brings together everything cultivated throughout the previous \u201cStrange\u201d titles, resulting in what feels like a definitive culmination of the series.<\/p>\n \n\tWith its ability to offer a new kind of reading experience even to those unaccustomed to books, Strange Maps<\/em> has already surpassed 700,000 copies in circulation. Dubbed a \u201cnationwide map mystery sensation,\u201d the title debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Japan\u2019s all-genre book chart, Japan Book Hot 100, which integrates print sales, e-books, and library lending. It has also held the top spot for four consecutive weeks on Billboard Japan Hot Bungei (Literary) Books.<\/p>\n \n\tUketsu appeared in person \u2014 though fully masked as usual \u2014 at the Billboard Japan Book Charts awards ceremony held on Dec. 16. In this interview, conducted shortly after the event, the elusive author discusses the background behind Strange Maps<\/em> and his thoughts on the \u201cStrange\u201d series. From Billboard Japan\u2019s perspective as a music media outlet, the conversation also explores how Uketsu engages with music in daily life and how that listening influences his creative work.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat kind of music do you usually listen to?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI lived in the U.K. as a kid, and at the time, acts like the Spice Girls, Westlife, and Steps were hugely popular. I listened to them constantly in the car. Oasis and R. Kelly were popular too, but they felt a bit difficult to my younger ears and I didn\u2019t really connect with them.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter returning to Japan, the first band I truly fell in love with was Southern All Stars. I also listened to them in the car, and I clearly remember thinking, \u201cThis really sinks in.\u201d When I reached junior high and high school, I became strongly interested in understanding the roots of the music I loved, and tracing the influences behind (SAS frontman and principal songwriter) Keisuke Kuwata led me to rock and pop from the \u201960s and \u201970s. From there, I gradually moved back through the \u201980s and \u201990s as well.<\/p>\n \n\tOut of all the music you\u2019ve heard, is there one song that left the strongest impression on you?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSayonara Jinrui\u201d (Goodbye, Humanity) by Tama. I first heard only about ten seconds of it on TV, as part of an old clip, but even that was enough for me to think, \u201cThis is completely different from anything else.\u201d It was nothing like Southern All Stars, and it really stuck with me.<\/p>\n \n\tAt the time, most of the songs around me were love songs, and as a kid, I couldn\u2019t really relate. They felt like music from a world of adults. Tama\u2019s songs, on the other hand, used familiar imagery like the moon and stars, things that were close to a child\u2019s world. In that sense, they felt more accessible than typical pop music and easy to grasp right away. So \u201cSayonara Jinrui\u201d is still a very special song to me.<\/p>\n \n\tHow do you discover new music?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI often look at Billboard\u2019s global charts. I basically follow the charts. To be honest, there are songs that are hard for me to get into, but I listen to them with something close to a sense of obligation, like, \u201cI need to listen to this properly.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m an amateur, but I do release music through videos from time to time, so I want to keep track of what kinds of sounds are out there right now. It\u2019s less about me making that kind of music myself and more about knowing what exists.<\/p>\n \n\tYour books are read by many people outside of Japan as well. What do you hope international readers will enjoy about your work?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI try to avoid writing stories that can only be understood if you have a deep knowledge of Japanese grammar or Japanese culture. I want to steer clear of works that require prior knowledge or an understanding of Japanese culture to be enjoyable, as much as possible.<\/p>\n \n\tSo for readers overseas, I\u2019d be happy if they could approach my books casually, without thinking, \u201cThis is Japanese literature.\u201d If they naturally sense some Asian or Japanese qualities coming through in the process, that would be great. Above all, I believe the books are easy to read, so my strongest feeling is simply, if you have some time, please give them a try.<\/p>\n \n\tRegarding your new book, <\/strong>Strange Maps,<\/em><\/strong> it\u2019s described as a culmination that brings together elements from the entire series. Where did you put in the most effort?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tWith Strange Houses<\/em>, my first book, I always felt some regret. At the time, my skills weren\u2019t quite there yet, and especially toward the ending, I wasn\u2019t able to fully pull it together as a mystery. That feeling stayed with me for a long time. This time, writing my first full-length novel since Strange Houses<\/em>, I wanted to incorporate motifs like abandoned settlements and deserted villages from that book while making sure the story worked properly as a mystery.<\/p>\n \n\tOn top of that, I brought together everything I\u2019d learned and wanted to try across the previous three books: the literary-fiction approach I developed in Strange Pictures<\/em>, and the complex, layered foreshadowing I challenged myself with in Strange Houses 2: Eleven Floor Plans<\/em>. I wrote it with the intention of consolidating everything. After spending nearly a year on its creation, I wanted this one to be the book I could confidently hand people who want to know what kind of writer Uketsu is and say, \u201cPlease start with this.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBeyond debuting at No. 1 on Japan Book Hot 100, <\/strong>Strange Maps<\/em><\/strong> also spent four consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Japan Hot Bungei Books list and has surpassed 700,000 copies in circulation as of December 2025. Why do you think it\u2019s being read by such a wide range of people, from adults to young readers and children across Japan?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThere was a fairly long gap since my previous book \u2014 I hadn\u2019t released anything new for about two years, so the fact that people waited that long really surprised me and I\u2019m grateful. That\u2019s entirely thanks to the readers who stuck with me.<\/p>\n \n\tFrom my perspective, I simply wrote what I personally found interesting, just as I always do. It ended up being read by many people, but that\u2019s the result of readers nurturing the work themselves.<\/p>\n \n\tListening to you, it feels like you\u2019re very conscious of what readers will enjoy, from an entertainment standpoint. Did you ever think, \u201cThis might sell better if I do it this way\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tAs for that, there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve always kept in mind. If I start thinking about writing for a large audience, at least in my case, it probably won\u2019t work. So, I write under the premise that there\u2019s only one reader and I\u2019m writing just for that single person. While I\u2019m writing, I imagine their reaction in my head, almost as if I\u2019m asking, \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d or \u201cWhat if this comes next?\u201d Maybe it\u2019s a form of self-dialogue, but the idea of pleasing one reader is something I\u2019ve never wavered from.<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019d like to ask about your vision for the future. You mentioned at the press conference that you want to write whatever you feel like writing at the time. Are there any themes or genres you\u2019re currently interested in?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tHonestly, I don\u2019t know if I could pull it off properly, but I\u2019m somewhat interested in political dramas and financial stories. They\u2019re fields I\u2019ve never touched before, but there are so many compelling works in those genres, and I feel they might suit my tastes.<\/p>\n \n\tIf I ever do attempt something like that, it would probably be quite different from what I\u2019ve done so far. I don\u2019t know how many years it might take, but I\u2019d like to take that someday.<\/p>\n