Overview
- Keigo Higashino, 68, died of colorectal cancer in the early hours of Thursday, July 23, his official X account and publisher Kodansha said.
- His funeral was held privately and publishers asked that the family not accept condolence money, flowers, or telegrams to protect their privacy.
- Over a four-decade career he wrote 106 books, sold more than 100 million copies in Japan, and won major prizes including the Naoki Prize and the Honkaku Mystery Award.
- Many of his novels were translated into dozens of languages and adapted into films and TV across Japan, China, South Korea, India, and other countries, widening global interest in Japanese crime fiction.
- His final novel, Eien no Kioku (Eternal Memory), is scheduled for posthumous publication on August 5, and recent tributes from bookstores, actors, and fellow writers have focused attention on his literary legacy.