Kyou Shirodaira is a Japanese manga story writer and detective novelist, born on June 15, 1974, in Nara Prefecture. He is a graduate of Osaka City University. His pen name is an anagram of Heijo-kyo, the former capital of Japan.

Shirodaira made his literary debut in 1998 with the novel A Rose for the Great Detective, which was a finalist for the 8th Ayukawa Tetsuya Award. He first gained widespread recognition as the original creator of the manga series Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning, which was serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan. The success of Spiral led to a 25-episode anime television series adaptation that aired from 2002 to 2003. He later continued this universe with the prequel series Spiral: Alive.

Another significant work is Blast of Tempest (Zetsuen no Tempest), a fantasy mystery manga serialized from 2009 to 2013 in Monthly Shonen Gangan. This series was adapted into a 24-episode anime television series that aired from 2012 to 2013.

Shirodaira is best known as the original creator of In/Spectre (Kyokou Suiri), a work that exemplifies his distinctive approach to mystery fiction. The franchise began as a novel published by Kodansha in 2011, featuring illustrations by Hiro Kiyohara. The story follows Kotoko Iwanaga, a young woman who becomes a mediator between the human and supernatural worlds after losing an eye and a leg, and Kurou Sakuragawa, a man who gained immortality and precognition after consuming yokai flesh. In 2019, the novel was republished as part of an ongoing series with illustrations by Chasiba Katase. A manga adaptation illustrated by Katase began serialization in Kodansha's Shonen Magazine R in April 2015 and later moved to Monthly Shonen Magazine. The manga has been collected into multiple tankobon volumes and is published in North America by Kodansha Comics. The series received an anime adaptation produced by Brain's Base, with the first season airing from January to March 2020 and the second season from January to March 2023, totaling 24 episodes. In 2012, Shirodaira won the 12th Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize for the novel that would become the basis for In/Spectre.

Shirodaira has collaborated with several notable artists throughout his career. He worked with artist Eita Mizuno on Spiral and its sequel Spiral: Alive, as well as on the later work Tengai-san is Surprisingly Average, serialized from 2015 to 2017. He collaborated with Chasiba Katase not only on the In/Spectre manga but also on the novel God and Sumo Even on a Rainy Day.

Shirodairas writing is characterized by a distinctive approach to mystery that often challenges genre conventions. He is known for developing narratives where reasoning and deduction proceed in complex, layered ways, sometimes prioritizing constructed explanations over empirical facts. This technique has been noted by literary scholars as a response to the limitations of traditional detective fiction, incorporating supernatural elements to overcome constraints of information available to the reader. Another recurring pattern in his works is the dynamic between a relatively aloof or unmotivated male lead and a bold, motivated heroine who actively pursues him.

The body of work by Kyou Shirodaira demonstrates his significance as a creator who has consistently contributed to the mystery and supernatural genres in Japanese manga and anime, with multiple successful adaptations reaching international audiences.