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Koji Suzuki, Author of Ring, Dies at 68

Ring set the template for J-horror worldwide.

Overview

  • Koji Suzuki died at a Tokyo hospital at 68, according to Asahi Shimbun, and he is survived by his wife and daughters.
  • His 1991 novel Ring became a bestseller that launched a cross-media franchise in Japan and abroad.
  • Director Hideo Nakata’s 1998 film and Gore Verbinski’s 2002 remake carried the story worldwide and cemented the ghost Sadako as an icon.
  • Suzuki often said he did not read horror, and his sequels like Spiral leaned into scientific ideas that many film versions set aside.
  • His final novel, Ubiquitous, was published in 2025, with an English translation reportedly in progress.