Audiobooks, which allow you to listen to books anytime, anywhere, are evolving into storytelling entertainment. According to Audible, a major audiobook production and distribution service, more and more new works are being released on audio before they are published, and the attractive voice acting of a star-studded cast of actors is immersing the listener in the story. When popular mystery writer Higashino Keigo wrote his first audio work in July, which had not previously been allowed to be released as an audiobook, the official website was flooded with over 600 comments within a week of its release, showing an unprecedented level of excitement.

A flood of comments on the long-awaited new book by Keigo Higashino

Previously, audio versions of books were available in the form of cassettes or CDs, but with the spread of smartphones, streaming is now the norm.

Audible, a US company that distributes over 200,000 titles to 11 countries around the world, launched its service in Japan nine years ago. With the COVID-19 pandemic helping to encourage people to stay at home, the company introduced an all-you-can-listen service two years ago, with a fixed monthly fee of 1,500 yen. As a result, the number of subscribers has increased by about 1.7 times in one year and four months.

Although they also distribute business books, the most popular genre is novels. “Three months after the introduction of the unlimited listening service, we exclusively released Murakami Haruki’s works as audiobooks. When popular authors such as Minato Kanae, Miyabe Miyuki, and Ikeido Jun start distribution, many fans tend to sign up as members,” said Audible’s senior director, Miyagawa Motomi. “We are also working with publishers to predict which works will be popular in the future, and build a system where the audio is available when you want to listen to them. For example, we are preparing to make it possible to listen to works nominated for the Naoki Prize before the award is announced.”

When it first launched in Japan, the main users were businessmen who listened to it on their commutes, but it has also attracted younger generations by stocking light novels. Because it is a book that can be listened to, it also provides selected books free of charge to the Japan Braille Library (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), which is used by the visually impaired.

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There are concerns that book sales will decline, but many users are avid readers, and audiobooks have led to more people buying books on Amazon, leading to increased understanding among publishers and authors. In the midst of all this, Higashino’s latest work, “Someone Killed Me” (2 hours and 47 minutes), from the Kaga Kyoichiro series (Kodansha), which has sold over 14 million copies, was written specifically for audiobook and will begin streaming on July 24th. On the same day, a press conference was held in Tokyo with the cast members.

Takahashi Katsunori, who played Inspector Kaga of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division, said, “I felt that the writer had written the script with an understanding of how actors create their characters, incorporating breathing, pauses and quirks. The fact that the only information available is the voice creates a new sensation in the listeners’ minds. There is room for imagination, and I feel that there are infinite possibilities.”

“The listener is the main focus. I was careful not to over-emotion,” said Shinobu Terashima, who voiced the spirit of the protagonist who is killed at the beginning of the film. The quiet, creeping narration is truly realistic.

Higashino commented, “It’s not just a reading, but it’s been designed to be more entertaining. I decided to participate in the hope that it could become a new stage where talented novelists can shine.” Senior Director Miyagawa said, “We’ve had many writers and actors say that they want to try it as a new platform for expression.”

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It is a type of storytelling that allows the listener to concentrate and create images in their mind, making them laugh or feel sad during the story. Rakugo is one example of this, and I think it has a strong affinity with Japanese people. What bothers me is the typography-first mentality of modern people, who want to watch movies and dramas at double speed. I understand the desire to input information efficiently, but if you speed up a story that you have put your heart and soul into, it will be ruined! (Shigematsu Akiko)