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Keigo Higashino, Leading Figure of Japanese Mystery Fiction, Dies at 68
Herz — World Desk · · 30s summary · 2 min read
The essentials
Keigo Higashino, one of Japan's most influential mystery and crime fiction authors, died on the night of July 23, 2026, from colorectal cancer at age 68. Kodansha—Japan's largest publishing house—announced his death on July 27. He was buried in a private family ceremony. Over his four-decade career, Higashino wrote more than 106 works published across 41 countries and territories, with sales in Japan exceeding 100 million copies. More than 20 of his novels were adapted for film and television. Born February 4, 1958, in Osaka Prefecture, Higashino began his literary career in 1985 after winning the Edogawa-Ranpo Prize.
- Died from colorectal cancer on the night of July 23, 2026, aged 68
- Published over 106 works; sales exceeded 100 million copies in Japan
- Works published in 41 countries and territories; more than 20 screen adaptations
- Literary debut in 1985 after winning the Edogawa-Ranpo Prize for Hokago
- Won the 2010 Cognac Polar Festival International Novel Prize
What We Know
Keigo Higashino died on the night of July 23, 2026, following colorectal cancer, at age 68. Kodansha Ltd.—Japan's largest publishing house—announced his death on July 27 in a statement cited by Le Temps. He was buried in a private family ceremony.
Higashino was born on February 4, 1958, in Osaka Prefecture in western Japan. He held a degree in electrical engineering and initially worked as an engineer before pursuing a full-time writing career.
A Career Spanning Over Four Decades
Higashino made his literary debut in 1985 by winning the Edogawa-Ranpo Prize—an award given annually since 1955 by the Mystery Writers of Japan to an outstanding mystery novel—for Hokago (After School), which remains untranslated into English.
Throughout his career, he published more than 106 works. His sales in Japan exceeded 100 million copies according to Kodansha, and his novels have been published in 41 countries and territories.
More than 20 of his works were adapted for film and television. Among his best-known titles are The Devotion of Suspect X, A House Cafe, and The Seven Divinities of Good Fortune. Higashino was particularly popular throughout Asia, especially in China.
Recognition in Europe
In 2010, Higashino received the International Novel Prize at the Cognac Polar Festival—an annual event held in Cognac, France since 1996—for The House Where I Once Died.
By the Numbers
106+
Works published during his career
100 million
Copies sold in Japan
41
Countries and territories with published works
20+
Works adapted for screen
Works published106
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