Uketsu Talks ‘Strange Maps’ Topping Inaugural Billboard Japan Book Chart, Musical Influences & Writing for ‘One Reader’: Interview

Strange Maps, 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.

Known 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’t usually read find immersive and accessible. The author’s “Strange” series has surpassed 8.5 million copies in worldwide circulation, while Strange Pictures has topped 2.1 million copies across 37 countries and regions, earning recognition as a “global sketch million-seller.”

The fourth entry in the series, Strange Maps, 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 “Strange” titles, resulting in what feels like a definitive culmination of the series.

With its ability to offer a new kind of reading experience even to those unaccustomed to books, Strange Maps has already surpassed 700,000 copies in circulation. Dubbed a “nationwide map mystery sensation,” the title debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s 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.

Uketsu appeared in person — though fully masked as usual — 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 and his thoughts on the “Strange” series. From Billboard Japan’s 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.

What kind of music do you usually listen to?

I 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’t really connect with them.

After 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, “This really sinks in.” 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 ’60s and ’70s. From there, I gradually moved back through the ’80s and ’90s as well.

Out of all the music you’ve heard, is there one song that left the strongest impression on you?

“Sayonara Jinrui” (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, “This is completely different from anything else.” It was nothing like Southern All Stars, and it really stuck with me.

At the time, most of the songs around me were love songs, and as a kid, I couldn’t really relate. They felt like music from a world of adults. Tama’s songs, on the other hand, used familiar imagery like the moon and stars, things that were close to a child’s world. In that sense, they felt more accessible than typical pop music and easy to grasp right away. So “Sayonara Jinrui” is still a very special song to me.

How do you discover new music?

I often look at Billboard’s 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, “I need to listen to this properly.”

I’m 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’s less about me making that kind of music myself and more about knowing what exists.

Your books are read by many people outside of Japan as well. What do you hope international readers will enjoy about your work?

I 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.

So for readers overseas, I’d be happy if they could approach my books casually, without thinking, “This is Japanese literature.” 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.

Regarding your new book, Strange Maps, it’s described as a culmination that brings together elements from the entire series. Where did you put in the most effort?

With Strange Houses, my first book, I always felt some regret. At the time, my skills weren’t quite there yet, and especially toward the ending, I wasn’t 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, I wanted to incorporate motifs like abandoned settlements and deserted villages from that book while making sure the story worked properly as a mystery.

On top of that, I brought together everything I’d learned and wanted to try across the previous three books: the literary-fiction approach I developed in Strange Pictures, and the complex, layered foreshadowing I challenged myself with in Strange Houses 2: Eleven Floor Plans. 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, “Please start with this.”

Beyond debuting at No. 1 on Japan Book Hot 100, Strange Maps 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’s being read by such a wide range of people, from adults to young readers and children across Japan?

There was a fairly long gap since my previous book — I hadn’t released anything new for about two years, so the fact that people waited that long really surprised me and I’m grateful. That’s entirely thanks to the readers who stuck with me.

From 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’s the result of readers nurturing the work themselves.

Listening to you, it feels like you’re very conscious of what readers will enjoy, from an entertainment standpoint. Did you ever think, “This might sell better if I do it this way”?

As for that, there’s one thing I’ve always kept in mind. If I start thinking about writing for a large audience, at least in my case, it probably won’t work. So, I write under the premise that there’s only one reader and I’m writing just for that single person. While I’m writing, I imagine their reaction in my head, almost as if I’m asking, “What do you think?” or “What if this comes next?” Maybe it’s a form of self-dialogue, but the idea of pleasing one reader is something I’ve never wavered from.

I’d 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’re currently interested in?

Honestly, I don’t know if I could pull it off properly, but I’m somewhat interested in political dramas and financial stories. They’re fields I’ve never touched before, but there are so many compelling works in those genres, and I feel they might suit my tastes.

If I ever do attempt something like that, it would probably be quite different from what I’ve done so far. I don’t know how many years it might take, but I’d like to take that someday.

—This interview by Takanori Kuroda first appeared on Billboard Japan