パラドックス13 by Higashino Keigo is a long novel of 562 pages. This page contains a list of all the characters who appear in the story.

In order of appearance

(in bold, the recurrent characters)

Chapter 1

田上・たがみ: Tagami is the executive secretary to the Prime Minister. The Japanese term is 首席秘書官.

大月・おおつき: Prime Minister. The complete name in Japanese is 内閣総理大臣・ないかくそうりだいじん but in our novel, he is simply called 総理・そうり.

堀越忠雄・ほりこしただお: Horikoshi Tadao is a 大臣・だいじん, that is, a cabinet member in charge of the 科学技術政策研究所 which is the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy. This institute is a branch of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

松山・まつやま: Matsuyama is the chief researcher of the High Energy Astronomy department (高エネルギー天文学) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (宇宙航空機構).

永野・ながの: Nagano is the chief of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (宇宙科学研究所) which is a division of JAXA. In our book, the institute is called 宇宙科学研究本部 but I read in Wikipedia that the name of the institute changed in 2010 from “研究本部” to “研究所”. Our novel was first published in 2009, so it makes sense.

安西・あんざい: 国土交通大臣 Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

防衛大臣 Minister of Defense

文部科学大臣 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

警察庁長官 Commissioner General of the National Police Agency. Even if he is not directly named in the story, we know that he was present.

From chapter 2

久我誠哉・くがせいや. Kuga Seiya is a 管理官 of the first investigation division 捜査一課. The 捜査一課 is one department inside what is called the 刑事部 (Criminal Investigation Department maybe?). The 捜査一課 deals with murder and robbery, as stated in Wikipedia.

上野・うえの: Ueno is Kuga’s subordinate 部下.

捜査一課張: Kuga’s chief.

刑事部長: The head of the criminal investigation department. We can also say that he is the chief of Kuga’s chief.

久我冬樹・くがふゆき Kuga Fuyuki is Kuga Seiya’s younger brother. We know that he is a police detective 刑事 too, but he is a 所轄刑事・しょかつけいじ, as his brother points at page 25. A little later, page 72, Fuyuki says, speaking of himself and Seiya, that they are both in the police but “兄は警視庁で、俺は所轄ですけど”. As I am not familiar with the police jargon, this sentence puzzled me. I made some research and I found this page with a very detailed and clear explanation. I am very grateful to the person who wrote this. As all this jargon seems to often appear in Japanese crime drama and films, I made a little scheme and placed our two brothers on it. My source is the above-mentioned link. I am not at all an expert, so just take it with a pinch of salt! (pdf version)

白木栄美子・しらきえみこ Shiraki Emiko is a young woman, divorced, mother of Mio.

ミオ Mio is the daughter of Emiko. She is maybe 5 or 6 years old.

新藤太一・しんどうたいち Shindo Taichi is a young and fat boy whose age is difficult to say. He came to Tokyo for his studies but quit university when he was in his 3rd year. He now lives or little jobs.

中原明日香・なかはらあすか Nakahara Asuka is a high school girl student.

小峰義之・こみねよしゆき Komine Yoshiyuki is an engineer, he works for a big company in architecture.

戸田正勝・とだまさかつ Toda Masakatsu is a senior managing director, 58-year-old.

山西繁雄・やまにししげお Yamanishi Shigeo is an old man, married with Haruko.

山西春子・やまにしはるこ Yamanishi Haruko, an old woman, wife of Shigeo.

富田菜々美・とみたななみ Tomita Nanami, a young woman, a nurse in a hospital.

勇人・ゆうと Yuto, a baby.