Waseda's 'Mountain Detective' Shinsaku Kudo Becomes Hakone Ekiden's Social Media Star

Waseda University's Shinsaku Kudo, affectionately known as the "Mountain Detective," once again ascended the Hakone mountains in Stage 5 of the 102nd Hakone Ekiden, a quintessential New Year's tradition. His impressive run garnered significant attention across social media platforms.

A fourth-year student, Kudo had expressed confidence on his X (formerly Twitter) account, posting, "I'm back again this year as the 'Mountain Detective' for Stage 5 of the Hakone Ekiden ⛰️! Let's show them a detective who finds no labyrinths, even when climbing mountains." True to his word, as he entered the mountain climb, he began closing the gap on the leading runners at an astonishing pace. Comments like "The Mountain Detective is fast after all" and "He's incredibly fast" flooded social media, captivating many viewers with his powerful performance.

Posts specifically described his pursuit of Chuo University's Shibata as "The Mountain Detective chasing a theatrical guest character (Chuo University)" and shared precise details, such as "The gap between Shibata-kun and the Mountain Detective is 29 seconds at Ohiradai." Real-time updates like "Closing in at Miyanoshita" and "They're coming into the same frame now" continuously tracked his narrowing distance. His side-by-side run with Aoyama Gakuin University's Asahi Kuroda also drew attention, with users commending both efforts: "Asahi Kuroda is amazing, but Mountain Detective Kudo-kun is fast too!!"

The unique nickname "Mountain Detective" stems from Kudo Shinsaku's name, which evokes "Kudo Shinichi," the protagonist of the popular anime "Detective Conan." Many online users resonated with the origin, saying, "I thought Kudo-kun from Hakone Ekiden sounded like Conan, and it turns out he's really called the Mountain Detective lol." Some even posted messages of support like "Detective Conan's theme song is on infinite repeat in my head. Go, Mountain Detective!" and humorous takes such as "Mountain Detective vs. The Black Organization," highlighting how the phenomenon had become a widespread topic.

Waseda University's Track and Field Club official account also showed high expectations for their ace, tweeting, "Making his third consecutive appearance, the 'Mountain Detective.' With solid practice and confidence, he heads for the finish line to claim victory on the outbound leg!" Kudo's "no labyrinth" run, much like a detective solving a mystery, indeed carved a new drama into the Hakone mountains.

The context

The Hakone Ekiden is one of Japan's most beloved annual sporting events, held over two days (January 2nd and 3rd) during the New Year's holiday. This university relay marathon sees teams from various universities competing over a challenging course of approximately 217 kilometers (135 miles) between Tokyo and Hakone. It is a major cultural tradition, drawing massive roadside crowds and high television viewership, akin to a national holiday event.

Stage 5, known as the "mountain climb" stage, is particularly famous for its brutal uphill gradient in the Hakone mountains, often proving to be the most decisive section of the outbound leg. It requires runners with exceptional endurance and strategic pacing, often referred to as "mountain specialists."

"Detective Conan" (internationally known as "Case Closed") is a hugely popular and long-running Japanese manga and anime series about a high school detective, Shinichi Kudo, who is transformed into a child but continues to solve cases under the alias Conan Edogawa. The protagonist's name, Kudo Shinichi, bears a striking resemblance to Kudo Shinsaku, leading to his unique and widely embraced nickname, "Mountain Detective," which playfully connects his athletic prowess to the famous sleuth's problem-solving skills.

The widespread use of social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) in Japan means that major live events like the Hakone Ekiden generate immense real-time commentary, memes, and fan interactions, allowing for immediate engagement and the rapid popularization of phenomena like the "Mountain Detective" nickname.