Keigo Higashino, Keigo Higashino, a famous Japanese detective novelist known for works such as The Devotion of Suspect X, Byakuyakō, and The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, died of colorectal cancer at age 68. He left over 100 works with cumulative sales in Japan exceeding 109 million copies, earning recognition as one of the all-time masters of Japanese mystery literature.
Kodansha Publishing announced today (27 Jul) that Keigo Higashino passed away from colorectal cancer in the early morning of 23 July at age 68. A private funeral was held with only family attending. The publisher said the family requested the media refrain from interviews and also asked that no wreaths, condolence money, or sympathy telegrams be sent. Details of a memorial service will be announced later.
Higashino was born on 4 February 1958 in Osaka City. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Osaka Prefecture University and worked as an engineer in the private sector while writing. He debuted as a novelist in 1985 after winning the Edogawa Rampo Prize for his novel Hōkago (After School), marking the start of his professional writing career.
In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for his novel Secret. He gained international fame with The Devotion of Suspect X, published in 2005, which won both the Naoki Prize and the Honkaku Mystery Award, becoming one of Japan’s most acclaimed detective novels.
This novel is part of the Galileo detective series, which was adapted into TV dramas and films starring famous actor Masaharu Fukuyama, achieving great success in Japan and abroad.
Higashino also created many popular works such as Byakuyakō (Journey Under the Midnight Sun), The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, the Detective Kaga series, the Masquerade series, and Newcomer. These have been adapted into films, TV dramas, and stage plays both in Japan and internationally.
Throughout his career, Higashino received numerous prestigious literary awards including the Chuo Koron Literary Prize for The Miracles of the Namiya General Store in 2012, the Shibata Renzaburo Award for Mugenbana (The Illusory Flower) in 2013, and the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature for When the Curtain Falls in 2014.
By 2023, his cumulative book sales in Japan surpassed 100 million copies, now approximately 109 million. He authored 106 books (excluding collaborations), which have been published in 41 countries and territories worldwide.
Higashino made history internationally when The Devotion of Suspect X was nominated for the Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 2012, and Newcomer was nominated for the International Dagger Award by the Crime Writers’ Association of the United Kingdom in 2019, making him the first Japanese author to be nominated for both global awards.
Beyond writing, Higashino served as president of the Mystery Writers of Japan from 2009 to 2013 and was a judge for the Naoki Prize from 2014 to 2022. He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2023, as well as the Kikuchi Kan Prize and the Japan Mystery Literature Award later on.
Before his death, Higashino continued writing. His latest Galileo series novel, Eternal Memory (永遠の記憶), is scheduled for release on 5 August, which will become the final work of the esteemed master of Japanese mystery literature.