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The social mystery (社会派推理小説, shakaiha suiri shōsetsu) is a sub-genre of mystery, especially in Japan, which was established in the 1960s by works of Seichō Matsumoto. In general, this genre focuses on social issues in the manner of social realism. It pursues the context of a crime in addition to the crime itself. Main thesis of the social mystery is whydunit, rather than whodunit.
Social mystery tends to contrast with the classical whodunit (本格派推理小説, honkakuha suiri shōsetsu), which focuses on solving puzzles and breaking alibi. However, they are not completely independent, because it is not impossible to deal with social issues and puzzle solving in one work.
The works that reflect social context are not uncommon among mysteries from other countries. But it is a characteristic phenomenon in Japan to give such works a title as a separate subgenre.