How Did Keigo Higashino Die? Cause of Death Confirmed for Beloved Japanese Mystery Author

Japanese mystery writer Keigo Higashino has died at the age of 68 in Tokyo, with his publisher saying the cause of death was colorectal cancer. The author, best known for The Devotion of Suspect X, died on 23 July, and his funeral was held privately, according to statements issued by his publisher and carried by Japanese media.

Keigo Higashino Death Confirmed by Publisher

Higashino was one of Japan's most commercially successful and widely read novelists, with a career spanning four decades. Born in Osaka in 1958, he began his career as an engineer before turning to fiction. His breakthrough came in 1985, when his debut novel After School won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, one of Japan's leading awards for mystery fiction.

The news came after Kodansha, his publisher, announced that Higashino had been receiving treatment for colorectal cancer before his death. The publisher said he died in the early hours of 23 July, and confirmed that a private funeral had already been held with close family members.

The announcement was also shared through Higashino's official social media account. Neither the publisher nor the family released additional details about his illness beyond confirming the cause of death.

IBTimes UK has based this report on statements issued by Kodansha and reports published by Japanese media.

Keigo Higashino's Rise to International Fame

Higashino became internationally recognised for combining intricate mystery plots with emotionally driven storytelling. The Devotion of Suspect X, published in 2005, is widely regarded as his best-known work, winning major literary awards in Japan and inspiring several film and television adaptations, including entries in the popular Galileo franchise starring Masaharu Fukuyama.

Over the course of his career, Higashino also created the Detective Kaga and Masquerade series. According to statements from Kodansha and his official account, he published 106 books during his lifetime.

His novels were translated into numerous languages and gained readers well beyond Japan, helping establish him as one of the country's best-known contemporary crime writers.

According to figures cited by Japanese media and Kodansha, Higashino's books sold more than 100 million copies in Japan. Some reports placed domestic sales at approximately 109 million copies, although published figures vary slightly between sources.

Final Novel to Be Published Posthumously

Higashino's final Galileo novel, Eternal Memory, remains scheduled for publication on 5 August, according to Kodansha and Japanese media reports published on Monday.

The forthcoming release means readers will receive one final work from the author after his death, concluding a literary career that produced dozens of bestselling novels over nearly 40 years.

Higashino's works were adapted into numerous films and television dramas and continued to attract new readers through international translations and screen adaptations.

Among those paying tribute was novelist and former politician Naoki Hyakuta, who wrote on X that Higashino was a 'truly talented writer' who understood 'what a story is' and 'what excellent writing is.'

Tributes from readers and fellow writers have also appeared across Japanese social media, reflecting Higashino's influence on both the mystery genre and contemporary Japanese literature.

Higashino's combination of commercial success and critical recognition made him one of the defining figures in modern Japanese crime fiction. His novels introduced millions of readers to Japanese mystery writing and remain widely read both in Japan and internationally.

His funeral was held privately, and no further public memorial arrangements have been announced. He is survived by a literary legacy that includes more than 100 published works, multiple award-winning novels and some of the most successful detective fiction of the modern era.