He wrote science fiction in the 1960s and 1970s, but then moved into more experimental, surrealist fiction, giving up being published in book form in Japan temporarily in 1993 as a protest against politically correct protestations about some of his writing. Tsutsui has won many literary awards over his lengthy and prolific career, including both the Yomiuri Literary Prize and the prestigious Tanizaki Prize, and many of his novels have been best sellers in Japan, in particular the 1990 novel Bungakubu Tadano Kyoju, a metafictional parody of recent trends in literary theory. His most recent works are the short story collection Salmonella Men on Planet Porno and the novels Hell; The Maid; Paprika and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.