The Truth Behind the Sekiyō Hall Case

At Sekiyō Hall, an ailing visitor listens as his host unfolds the history of a household marked by sudden deaths, suspicious coincidences, and a painter whose disappearance may conceal something worse than murder. A night of mahjong, a wireless set, a glass of lemonade, and a private detective’s investigations become pieces in an increasingly unsettling account.

Unno Jūza combines the machinery of detective fiction with the uncertainty of a story told by someone whose own identity demands scrutiny. Explanations arrive through period science, elaborate disguise, family secrets, and an ingenious reconstruction, yet each apparent solution raises another question about who is speaking and what can be believed.

First published in Shinseinen in October 1929, this complete story retains both its intricate explanation and its disquieting final turn. Explanatory notes identify uncertain names, distinguish historical scientific claims from verified facts, and disclose the missing illustration without supplying an invented replacement. The visitor’s closing doubts leave readers to weigh the evidence for themselves.