Japanese
Uketsu is an anonymous Japanese author and online creator who writes horror and mystery fiction. The writer hides their face and identity, appearing in public in a mask and with a disguised voice. Uketsu first gained a following through videos on YouTube, where they told unsettling stories built around strange floor plans and drawings. The first novel, Strange Pictures (Hen na e), came out in Japan in 2022 and became a bestseller. It was followed by Strange Houses (Hen na ie), which grew from the floor plan videos. Both books were translated into English by Jim Rion and published in 2024. Uketsu's work relies on short, clean prose, illustrations placed inside the text, and puzzles that the reader can solve step by step before a final twist changes the meaning of what came before. The books have sold millions of copies in Japan and helped bring wider attention to a new wave of Japanese puzzle mysteries abroad.