Karuizawa, Nagano
On returning to Japan, Hisao Jūran obtained a post as an assistant stage director with the New Tsukiji Theater. However, his interests were very broadly based, and he also contributed mystery stories to the magazine "Shin Seinen" ("New Youth"). His fiction included the dark detective story "Kinrō" ("Golden Wolf"), which was also the first time he adopted the pen-name of "Hisao Jūran". Several other works followed, and in 1936 he was offered the post of lecturer on the theory of theater at the Department of Literature at Meiji University. In 1937, he joined the "Bungakuza" theatre company organized by his mentor Kishida. He also began translating works of detective fiction by noted French authors (including Gaston Leroux) into Japanese. The extra income enabled him to purchase a summer home in the resort area of Karuizawa, Nagano.