Hinowa Kōzuki was a Japanese novelist and the original creator behind several notable works that have been adapted into manga and anime. Born in 1963 in Wakayama Prefecture, her real name was Shino Sugino. She passed away on December 19, 2014, at the age of 51 in Osaka.

Kōzuki made her literary debut with the novel series Jigokudō Reikai Tsūshin. The first novel, titled Warugaki, Yūrei ni Bibiru!, was released in 1994 and earned her the Rookie of the Year award from the Japan Juvenile Literature Writers Association. The supernatural fantasy series follows three elementary school troublemakers who open a door to another world. The novels proved popular and were adapted into a two-episode original video anime in 1996, directed by Junichi Satō, as well as a live-action film in the same year. A manga adaptation of Jigokudō Reikai Tsūshin, illustrated by Mimori, ran in Kodansha's good! Afternoon magazine from the inaugural issue in November 2008 until 2020.

Another significant work by Kōzuki is the light novel series Yōkai Apāto no Yūga na Nichijō, known in English as Elegant Yokai Apartment Life. This series was published from 2003 to 2009 and inspired a 13-episode anime adaptation in 2017. A separate ongoing manga adaptation based on the novels began in Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine in 2011.

Kōzuki's body of work frequently explored themes involving the supernatural, folklore, and everyday life. Her novels often centered on young protagonists encountering yokai and other spiritual phenomena. In addition to her major series, she authored other works such as Ōedo Yōkai Kawaraban and the Fanmu Arēsu series. Her contributions to children's and young adult literature were recognized with the Japan Juvenile Literature Writers Association Award for her debut, and in 2004 she received the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award Fuji Television Prize for Yōkai Apāto no Yūga na Nichijō.