Rei Shimura
Encyclopedia
Rei Shimura is a fictional amateur sleuth and antiques expert who features in a series of mystery novels written by Sujata Massey
. Her character is first introduced in the novel The Salaryman's Wife, in which she unravels the murder of a woman on a sight-seeing trip
, Rei Shimura was raised in the United States by her Japanese father and (Caucasian) American mother before emigrating to Tokyo
. While in Japan, she worked in a succession of jobs, ranging from columnist for the Gaijin Times to antiques dealer.
Rei Shimura is described as appearing more Japanese than Caucasian, and she is often mistaken to be of full Japanese ancestry when in the United States. In Japan, she is regarded as a foreigner despite her fluent Japanese and she still has difficulty with the written language.
Rei Shimura's mother is a member of the influential Howard family, but in The Pearl Diver Massey indicates that only one member of this family, Kendall Howard, reaches out to Rei when she moves to Washington D.C. All of her father's family live in Japan, and Rei has a close relationship with her cousin, Tom Shimura, and her aunt, Norie.
Sujata Massey
Sujata Massey is a mystery writer born 1964 in Sussex, England who emigrated with her family to the United States at the age of 5.She is best known for her series featuring Rei Shimura, a Californian born to a Japanese father and an American mother. Many of her novels are set in Japan and in...
. Her character is first introduced in the novel The Salaryman's Wife, in which she unravels the murder of a woman on a sight-seeing trip
Character history
Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Rei Shimura was raised in the United States by her Japanese father and (Caucasian) American mother before emigrating to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. While in Japan, she worked in a succession of jobs, ranging from columnist for the Gaijin Times to antiques dealer.
Rei Shimura is described as appearing more Japanese than Caucasian, and she is often mistaken to be of full Japanese ancestry when in the United States. In Japan, she is regarded as a foreigner despite her fluent Japanese and she still has difficulty with the written language.
Rei Shimura's mother is a member of the influential Howard family, but in The Pearl Diver Massey indicates that only one member of this family, Kendall Howard, reaches out to Rei when she moves to Washington D.C. All of her father's family live in Japan, and Rei has a close relationship with her cousin, Tom Shimura, and her aunt, Norie.