Kiriko's Crime Diary

Is your living situation secure once you enter prison? Seventy-six-year-old part-time worker Kiriko Hitotsubashi is on the quest to find a way to live without inconveniencing others.
Kiriko’s Crime Diary is a novel that gives hope to those planning the last phase of their life, written by the trending author of the bestselling novel How to Spend 3,000 Yen.

Shoplifting, counterfeit money, illegal loan, fraud, kidnapping, murder.
Which one will put you in jail the longest?

Kiriko has taken care of her elderly parents for a long time and finds herself at the age of 76, without ever having married. After her parents pass away, she lives on a meagre pension and wages from her part-time job cleaning.
She hardly has any savings. Sharing a flat with her best friend Tomo, brought her joy and comfort,
however Tomo passes away due to illness. Kiriko fears she will die alone and cause trouble for others.
One day, she spots an image on TV of an elderly inmate being taken care of in prison.
“This is it!”
Kiriko sees this as a silver lining and begins to think of what kind of crime will have her caught in prison for the longest period of time.

Comment from the Author

I find it difficult to see gruesome incidents, shocking happenings,etc., on television and in magazines.
For some time, those things occupy my thoughts, and I find myself unable to work or sleep.
At such times, I end up thinking about things such as “What was the turning point for the people involved in the incident?,” “What could they have done, and how could they have done it so as not to get involved?” until I find an answer.
Unfortunately, I often do not find an answer.
For Kiriko-san, the little happiness she had was taken away from her.
I hope you can all come together to think about how she can avoid getting caught up in something sinister.
I hope that the reader will feel some of Kiriko’s nervous tension along with her.

Comment from the Publishing Staff in Charge

Just like Ms. Kiriko, I’ve always wanted to live in a way that doesn’t burden others. However, the way I think has changed after reading this book, and now I believe it might be all right to live in a way that does. After all, the inconvenience you cause others is the proof that you’re alive! This is a novel I’d love for people to read, especially in our current day and age where our bonds with other people have gotten so weak.

Comment from the Chief Editor

Although I’m still only 41 years old, I intensely related with 76-year-old Kiriko.
How we should live once we’re old of age is a question we should all ask ourselves.