Okamoto Kido (1872–1939) was one of the most active authors in the kaiki revival. He was an enormously prolific writer and critic. In addition to his many kaiki shôsetsu, he wrote around two hundred plays for the kabuki theater, and is credited with introducing the detective story to Japan.
His best-known work in English to date is The Curious Casebook of Detective Hanshichi, translated by Ian MacDonald, set in the Edo period, and for which he openly acknowledged his debt of inspiration to Sherlock Holmes. He was also widely read in foreign fiction (Western and Chinese) and even published anthologies of translated works.
