Rikako Akiyoshi’s been a long time author in Japan. However, she has not had a work translated into English just yet.
Well, that’s changed this year. Vertical acquired the license to translate The Dark Maidens, and it has since seen a release in stores today. Due to that there was an opportunity to reach out to her via email with questions — and below are her answers to how she became a writer, why she went to Loyola Marymount University, and her next work, among other questions:
TheOASG: Tell me a little about yourself and what caught your attention first: anime, manga, novels, TV, films, or games?
Rikako Akiyoshi: I’ve always loved reading since I was a little girl. I think I started with picture books but soon moved on to children’s novels such as Anne of Green Gables, etc. Luckily, since I lived in Japan, I was also surrounded by so many great manga (Black Jack, Doraemon, Lady Oscar) and animations (Patariro by Mineo Maya, etc) – I was very influenced by these works.
What moment or event made you decide you wanted to become a novelist?
I encountered The Metamorphosis by Kafka when I was 11, and was very shocked and deeply impressed by it. Till then, I read novels like Anne of Green Gables. You know, the kind of novels that tell you “if you work hard, happiness will come to you.” But The Metamorphosis was totally different, telling the world is full of garbage, and although you work hard, happiness might not come to you.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Anne of Green Gables and that is still one of my favorites, but reading Kafka was a quite special experience. I guess I was too young to read Kafka, but his works really sucked me in. I started to think that I wanted to write something like his works, something dark and complicated. So, here I am now!
You studied literature at Waseda University, but you also got your Master’s degree at Loyola Marymount University in Film and TV production. First question – how did this opportunity come about? Second, was this your first time going to America?
I first moved to Los Angeles when I was a teenager with my family, so I’ve always felt that LA is my second hometown. I went back to Japan to enter Waseda University as Waseda is one of a few universities that offered a creative writing course in Japan. But after I graduated, I missed LA so much and wanted to go back there. So I decided to take my Master’s degree in Film, as Film is not something you can study in a graduate school in Japan.
How was the experience at LMU, from being in Los Angeles to learning film, like?
It was awesome. I learned a lot about technical stuff like building sets, setting up lights, as well as creative stuff like writing screenplays, casting, directing, etc. The experience I got from LMU definitely helps me to write novels too.
Your debut work, Snow Flower, won the Yahoo! JAPAN literature prize. Can you share a bit of what it’s about and what led to the idea for it? When you found out you won, what was your immediate reaction?
Snow Flower is a short story about a middle aged married couple who lost their business, money and home. They decided to kill themselves, but gained the courage to move their lives forward. So this is a human drama piece and not a mystery or dark horror at all.
When I found out that I won, I was first relieved, then got excited gradually.
You’ve since worked on a couple more novels over the years. How would you say your style has evolved since working on Snow Flower?
I think the biggest change is that, although I started my career as a serious literature writer, I have now become a mystery writer. All my life up until I received an order to write a mystery novel in 2011, I had never read mystery novels.
Snow Flower was a serious literature, but one editor who read it approached me and said, “I think the mystery genre would fit you a lot more. Why don’t you write one?” That was in 2011. I had no idea how to write mystery novels as I had never read one, so I immediately ran to the library and borrowed as many mystery novels as possible – Keigo Higashino, Stephen King, etc.
But of course writing a mystery novel for the first time wasn’t easy. When I almost decided to turn down the writing offer, one day, out of nowhere, I came up with an idea of beautiful girls gathering to tell their own story on their mutual girlfriend’s death, but each story is totally different. I really liked the idea of “different POVs over one incident” so I developed it into a book. I think it turned out well! I’ve been writing mystery novels since then. The editor was so right – I really like writing this genre.
The Dark Maidens is a murder mystery set at a prestigious girls’ school. What led to the idea for this?
I went to a private girls’ school (catholic) in Japan where I saw many girls’ good sides and dark sides. When I decided to write a mystery novel, I immediately remembered the school’s solemn atmosphere and thought it was perfect as a set up.
What were some of the challenges in creating this type of mystery where it’s centered around a student who died, but why and how she died is a big question mark?
It was a challenge to build 6 different stories around a girl’s death, and to reveal the truth about her death through those stories little by little.
How long did you spend working on the novel?
It took me 1 and a half year to write The Dark Maidens.
What do you hope those who check out The Dark Maidens keep in mind as they read the novel?
I want the readers to enjoy the dark sides of beautiful innocent girls. Also I want the readers to enjoy guessing who’s lying or who’s telling the truth as they read.
Can you share how you felt when you found out this was going to be adapted into a film?
It really was amazing and exciting as it had been a big time dream for me to see my words come to life on the screen with visuals and sound!
How involved were you with the creation of the film, and even meeting any of the staff?
I reviewed the screenplays and made a few comments, and that was all as I trusted the screenwriter, director, and producers. Later, I met the cast and crew when I visited the filming set. I was so lucky to have the best of the best cast and crew in Japan.
Can you share what’s next for you, writing wise?
My 12th book, Memory of Glass, will be released in Japan this summer. This is about a 40 year old woman with a memory loss (due to a car accident) being suspected for killing a man, but she doesn’t know if she actually killed the man or not. The man killed her parents 20 years ago and was just released from a jail, so she has a motive. She called 911 claiming she killed him, and when the police arrived she had a bloody knife in her hand and there was a dead body lying on the floor, but she doesn’t remember anything about it, even about having called 911. I have a feeling this piece is going to be a great success.
Finally, what piece of advice would you give to someone who might be interested in wanting to write as their career?
Try to finish if you start writing. Even though you get tired of your story and are not sure where it’s going, finish it. Then let it sit for a few days and work on it again with fresh eyes. No one can write a masterpiece in one try. Keep on polishing till your story shines!