The program "Platinum Family: A Glimpse into the Lives of a Glamorous Family" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 7 PM, excluding some regions) introduces the lifestyles of "glamorous families." On March 31st, Kentaro Hirai, the grandson of mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo, known for the detective Kogoro Akechi series including "The Phantom Twenty Faces" and "The Boy Detectives," will be featured.
Mr. Hirai runs a railway model magazine publishing company in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The program took us to an apartment building near Rikkyo University. Mr. Hirai is the owner of the building, using the first floor as his office and living on the top floor. One entire wall of his office is lined with railway models that Kentaro loves.
It is said that Kentaro's collecting habit is similar to that of his grandfather, Ranpo. Ranpo also collected more than 20,000 books, and it is also mentioned that he was a "moving addict," having moved 46 times between the ages of 20 and 50.
The program also visited the former Edogawa Ranpo residence, located next to Rikkyo University. Visitors entered Ranpo's favorite Japanese-style study and the storehouse where his vast collection of Western books and mystery novels is stored. The books in the collection still bear labels that Ranpo himself stamped with the initials of the authors' names and organized by hand, revealing his meticulous nature.
The program will also air 8mm camera footage shot by Ranpo himself, capturing precious private moments. Kentaro recalls being "pushed in as a mascot for interviews with Ranpo" and describing him as "an extremely gentle and kind old man," revealing Ranpo's unexpected true character and family memories.
