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is a Japanese author chiefly known for his mystery novels. He served as the 13th President of
Mystery Writers of Japan is an organization for mystery writers in Japan. The organization was founded on 21 June 1947 by Edogawa Rampo. It is currently chaired by Natsuhiko Kyogoku and claims about 600 members. It presents the Mystery Writers of Japan Award to writers ...
from 2009 to 2013. Higashino has won major Japanese awards for his books, almost twenty of which have been turned into films and TV series.


Early life

Higashino was born in the Ikuno-ku ward of the city of
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
in
Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...
. The
logographic In a written language, a logogram (from Ancient Greek 'word', and 'that which is drawn or written'), also logograph or lexigraph, is a written character that represents a semantic component of a language, such as a word or morpheme. Chinese c ...
letters that make up the family name were initially read as "Tono", but Keigo's father changed the reading to "Higashino". Growing up in a working class area, Higashino's childhood was challenging because of the lower class to which his family belonged. He attended Koji Elementary School, Higashi Ikuno Junior High School, and Hannan High School. During his high school years he started reading
mystery fiction Mystery is a genre fiction, fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains wiktionary:mysterious, mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually prov ...
. Higashino studied
Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
at Osaka Prefecture University, where he became captain of the
archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...
club. He graduated with a
Bachelor of Engineering A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a college graduate majoring in an engineering discipline at a higher education institution. In the United Kingdom, a Ba ...
degree.


Career

Higashino started writing while in high school and university, showing his manuscripts to friends. In 1981, he began working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co. (presently
DENSO is a global automotive components manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. After becoming independent from Toyota Motor, the company was founded as in 1949. About 25% of the company is owned by Toyota. Despi ...
), and married a high school teacher. He continued to write in the evenings and on weekends, submitting unpublished mystery novels for consideration for the annual
Edogawa Rampo Prize The , named after Edogawa Rampo, is a Japanese literary award which has been presented every year by the Mystery Writers of Japan since 1955. Though its name is similar to the Edgar Allan Poe Awards, which has been presented by Mystery Writers of ...
in 1983. In 1984, his submission, which drew on his wife's occupation, reached the final round. In 1985, at the age of 27, he won the Rampo Prize for best unpublished mystery for , drawing on experiences of the archery club at his former university. He resigned from DENSO in 1986 to start a career in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
as a full-time writer. In 1998, Higashino published , which was adapted into a feature film and won the 52nd
Mystery Writers of Japan Award The are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of Japan. They honor the best in crime fiction and critical/biographical work published in the previous year. MWJ Award for Best Novel winners (1948–1951, 1976–present) MWJ Award for Be ...
for feature films in 1999. ''Secret'' was later translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published as '' Naoko'' in 2004, with a limited print run. Higashino was inspired to write the story by reading a book in which a young child possessed the memories of someone who died nearby. He tried writing a short story featuring the implications of what would happen in such an instance, "but the ideas didn't fully materialize. Finally I presented it as a novel and it got picked up." A 1999 Japanese film, '' Himitsu'', was based on the book, as was a 2007 English-language French remake,'' The Secret'', starring
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
. In 2006, Higashino won the 134th
Naoki Prize The Naoki Prize, officially , is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. It was created in 1935 by Kikuchi Kan, then editor of the ''Bungeishunjū'' magazine, and named in memory of novelist Naoki Sanjugo. Sponsored by the Society for ...
for , an award for which he had been nominated five times previously. ''Suspect X'' also won the 6th
Honkaku Mystery Award The are presented every year by the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan. They honor the best in honkaku (i.e. authentic, orthodox) mystery fiction and critical works published in the previous year. Honkaku Mystery Award for Best Fiction winne ...
and was ranked the number-one novel by '' Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2006'' and '' 2006 Honkaku Mystery Best 10'', annual mystery fiction guide books published in Japan. The English edition of ''Suspect X'', translated by Alexander O. Smith, was nominated for the 2012
Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...
for Best Novel and the 2012 Barry Award for Best First Novel. Higashino received the Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Prize in 2014 for , the 10th book to feature Detective Kyoichiro Kaga. He thought that the book would be the end of the Kaga series, as he had done what he wanted to do with it. Higashino is one of the most popular authors in Asia and, reportedly, the most popular novelist in China. Translation rights for his books, like ''Suspect X'', were sold as far afield as China, Thailand, France, Russia and Spain. Both his ''Suspect X'' and '' Salvation of a Saint'' were published in 6 languages. His popularity has drawn the attention of Asian academics, with papers and master's theses on his work published in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan, for example, and has also stimulated United States scholars. Higashino was elected president of the
Mystery Writers of Japan is an organization for mystery writers in Japan. The organization was founded on 21 June 1947 by Edogawa Rampo. It is currently chaired by Natsuhiko Kyogoku and claims about 600 members. It presents the Mystery Writers of Japan Award to writers ...
(MWJ) in 2009, and served until 2013. From 2002 to 2007 he served on various MWJ selection committees, and fulfilled a similar role for the Edogawa Rampo Award from 2008 to 2013. In 2014, he became a selection member for the Naoki Prize. After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, Higashino donated the royalties of 100,000 copies of the reprint of , the sequel to ''Newcomer'', to relief efforts in affected areas. Higashino reportedly avoids publicity, as he prefers people not to recognize him on the street.


Contents and style

Higashino admitted in 2015 that his content and style had changed from his earlier writings, in which he treated motivation as the most important element. In a 2011 interview, he stated that he wants his "readers to be continually surprised by my ideas." In addition to mystery novels, Higashino writes essays and story books for children. His style of writing the latter differs from his novels, and he does not use as many characters as in his novels. Higashino's works often include scientific elements, such as nuclear power generation and brain transplantation. Sports references, such as archery and
kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship ex ...
, ski jumping, and snowboarding, also occur often. ''Suspect X'' inverts the classical
whodunit A ''whodunit'' (less commonly spelled as ''whodunnit''; a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal ...
structure, as the reader learns early on who the murderer is. Andrew Joyce writes in ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' that Higashino explores how "feelings of loyalty and the oppressive weight of human relations" are "catalysts for murder and dark pacts between neighbors or co-workers to dispose of bodies." Higashino claims that Japanese people prefer this format, in which the effects of characters' actions and intentions, in terms of emotions such as guilt and anguish, become clearer only towards the end of the story. While Higashino admits to liking Western writers, he feels most strongly influenced by Japanese authors such as
Edogawa Rampo , better known by the pen name , was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the ...
and Seicho Matsumoto. And "so my work naturally has that Japanese sense of old-fashioned loyalty and concern for human feeling." Regarding his Western readers, Higashino wants them "to read my work and come to understand how Japanese people think, love and hate. I want them to be impressed that there is a Japanese person who came up with such unusual stories."


Works in English translation


Novels


Detective Galileo series

*'' The Devotion of Suspect X'' (original title: ''Yōgisha X no Kenshin''), trans. Alexander O. Smith ( Minotaur Books, 2011) *'' Salvation of a Saint'' (original title: ''Seijo no Kyūsai''), trans. Alexander O. Smith (Minotaur Books, 2012) *''A Midsummer's Equation'' (original title: ''Manatsu no Hōteishiki''), trans. Alexander O. Smith (Minotaur Books, 2016) *''Silent Parade'' (original title: ''Chinmoku no Parēdo''), trans. Giles Murray (Minotaur Books, 2021) *''Invisible Helix'' (original title: ''Tōmei na Rasen''), trans. Giles Murray (Minotaur Books, 2024)


Police Detective Kaga series

*''Malice'' (original title: ''Akui''), trans. Alexander O. Smith (Minotaur Books, 2014) *''Newcomer'' (original title: ''Shinzanmono''), trans. Giles Murray (Minotaur Books, 2018) *''A Death in Tokyo'' (original title: ''Kirin no tsubasa''), trans. Giles Murray (Minotaur Books, 2022) *''The Final Curtain'' (original title: ''Inori no Maku ga Oriru Toki''), trans. Giles Murray (Minotaur Books, 2023)


Other novels

*'' Naoko'' (original title: ''Himitsu''), trans. Kerim Yasar ( Vertical, 2004) *'' Journey Under the Midnight Sun'' (original title: ''Byakuyakō''), trans. Alexander O. Smith (
Hachette Hachette may refer to: * Hachette (surname) * Hachette Livre, a French publisher, the imprint of Lagardère Publishing ** Hachette Book Group, the American subsidiary ** Hachette Distribution Services, the distribution arm See also * Hachette Fil ...
, 2015) *''The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping'' (original title: ''Gēmu no Na wa Yūkai''), trans. Jan Mitsuko Cash (Vertical, 2017) *'' The Miracles of the Namiya General Store'' (original title: ''Namiya Zakkaten no Kiseki''), trans. Sam Bett (Yen On, 2019)


Essay

*My Favourite Mystery: by Seichō Matsumoto (Mystery Writers of Japan, Inc.)


Honours, awards and nominations


Honours


Awards


Japanese Mystery Fiction Guide Rankings

* 2006 – The Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year ( Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2006): ''The Devotion of Suspect X'' * 2010 – The Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year ( Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2010): ''Shinzanmono'' (The Newcomer) * 2012 – Ranked as the No. 13 novel on the Top 100 Japanese Mystery Novels of All Time: ''The Devotion of Suspect X'' * 2012 – Ranked as the No. 18 novel on the Top 100 Japanese Mystery Novels of All Time: ''Journey under the Midnight Sun'' * 2018 – Ranked as No. 1 novel on the Weekly
Bungeishunjū is a Japanese publishing company known for its leading monthly magazine '' Bungeishunjū''. The company was founded by Kan Kikuchi in 1923. It grants the annual Akutagawa Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Japan, as well a ...
Mystery Best 10:


Bibliography

By 2018 Higashino had published 66 novels, 20 short story collections, and one picture book. In all, there were 715 works in 8 languages by Higashino worldwide in 2020, excluding 20 which were about him.


Detective Galileo (Manabu Yukawa) series


Novels

#, 2005 ('' The Devotion of Suspect X'', Minotaur Books, 2011) #, 2008 ('' Salvation of a Saint'', Minotaur Books, 2012) #, 2011 (''A Midsummer's Equation'', Minotaur Books, 2016) #, 2012 (''The Forbidden Magic'') - untranslated as of 2025 #, 2018 (''Silent Parade'', Minotaur Books, 2021) #, 2021 (''Invisible Helix'', Minotaur Books, 2024)


Short story collections (untranslated)

#, 1998 (''Detective Galileo'') #, 2000 (''Foresight Dream'') #, 2008 (''The Anguish of Galileo'') #, 2012 (''The Virtual Clown'') #, 2012 (''The Forbidden Magic'')


Police Detective Kaga series

*Novels **, 1986 (''Graduation'') **, 1989 (''The Forest in Sleep'') **, 1996 (''Who Killed Her'') **, 1996 (''Malice'', Minotaur Books, 2014) **, 1999 (''I Killed Him'') **, 2006 (''The Red Finger'') **, 2009 (''Newcomer'', Minotaur Books, 2017) **, 2011 (''A Death in Tokyo'', Minotaur Books, 2022) **, 2013 (''The Final Curtain'', Minotaur Books, 2023) *Short story collection **, 2000 (''Just One More Lie'')


Naniwa Detective Boys series

*, 1988, Short story collection (''Naniwa Detective Boys'') *, 1993, Short story collection (''Goodbye, Miss Shinobu'')


Detective Daigoro Tenkaichi series

*, 1996, Short story collection (''The Rule of the Detective'') *, 1996, Novel (''The Curse of the Detective'')


Other novels

*, 1985 (''After School'') *, 1986 (''The Murder in Mansion Hakuba'') *, 1987 (''The Murder in the College Town'') *, 1987 (''The Case of 11 Letters'') *, 1988 (''Magic Ball'') *, 1988 (''Cheers with a Wink'') *, 1989 (''The Clown of House Juji'') *, 1989 (''Plan Chojin'') *, 1989 (''Murder on the Cloud'') *, 1989 (''Heart of Brutus'') *, 1990 (''Fate'') *, 1990 (''The Murder in Mansion Masquerade'') * (), 1991 (''Transformation'') *, 1991 (''The Murder in Kairotei'') *, 1992 (''In a Mansion Covered with Snow'') *, 1992 (''Beautiful Weapon'') *, 1993 (''Classmate'') *, 1993 (''Alter Ego'') *, 1994 (''The Home Where I Died'') *, 1994 (''The Boy Who Controlled the Rainbow'') *, 1995 *, 1995 (''The Bee in the Sky'') *, 1998 ('' Naoko'', Vertical, 2004) *, 1999 ('' Journey Under the Midnight Sun'',
Little, Brown Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries, it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emil ...
, 2015) *, 2001 (''One-sided Love'') *, 2002 *, 2002 *, 2002 (''The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping'', Vertical, 2017) *, 2003 (''Letter'') *, 2003 (''I'm the Ruthless Teacher'') *, 2003 (''The Door of Murder'') *, 2004 (''Mysterious Night'') *, 2004 (''The Hesitating Blade'') *, 2006 (''The Limit of Mission and Heart'') *, 2007 (''The Street Where the Dawn Breaks'') *, 2007 *, 2008 (''The Bonds of the Shooting Star'') *, 2009 *, 2010 (''Whose Cuckoo Eggs'') *, 2010 *, 2010 (''Silver Hijack'') *, 2011 *, 2012 (''Miracles of the Namiya General Store'') *, 2013 (''Dream Flower'') *, 2014 (''Hollow Cross'') * (), 2015 (''The House Where the Mermaid Sleeps'') *, 2015 (''Laplace's Witch'') *, 2016 (''Dangerous Venus'') *, 2017 (''Masquerade Night'') *, 2019 (''Thread of Hope'') *, 2020 (''The Camphor Keeper'') *, 2021 (''The Swan and The Bat'')


Essay collections

*, 1995 (''When We Were Stupid'') *, 2004 (''Challenge?'') *, 2005 (''Science?'') *, 2006 (''Dreams over Turin'') *, 2007 (''Probably the Last Greeting'')


Other short story collections

*, 1990 (''Detective Club'') *, 1990 (''A Night of Murder with no Murderer'') *, 1991 (''A Night of the Traffic Officer'') *, 1994 (''Suspicious People'') *, 1995 (''Weird Laughs Novel'') *, 1996 (''Poisonous Laughs Novel'') *, 2001 (''Super-Murder: The Anguish of the Mystery Writers'') *, 2005 (''Dark Laughs Novel'') *, 2011 (''Someone of Those Days'') *, 2012 (''Crooked Laughs Novel'') *, 2014 (''Masquerade Eve'')


Children's book

*, 2001 (Illustrated by )


Comics

* , 4 volumes, 2003 (Illustrated by Motorō Mase)


TV and film adaptations

Some of his novels have been made into TV drama series and films:


Japanese films

*'' Naoko'' (1999, Original Title: ''Himitsu'', 1998) *'' g@me.'' (2003, Original Title: ''Gēmu no Na wa Yūkai'', 2002) *''
Lakeside Murder Case is a 2004 Japanese mystery film directed by Shinji Aoyama, starring Kōji Yakusho, Hiroko Yakushimaru and Etsushi Toyokawa. Plot Four couples are staying at a lakeside cottage with their children. They want them to prepare intensely for a prest ...
'' (2004, Original Title: ''Lakeside'', 2002) *''Henshin'' (2005) *''Tegami'' (2006) *'' Suspect X'' (2008) *'' The Hovering Blade'' (2009, Original Title: ''Samayou Yaiba'', 2004) *''
Into the White Night is a 2010 Japanese film directed by Yoshihiro Fukagawa. It was screened in the Main Programme of the Panorama section at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. It is based on Journey Under the Midnight Sun, by Keigo Higashino. Plot A pa ...
'' (2011) *''
Yoake no Machi de is a 2011 Japanese film directed by Setsurō Wakamatsu, based on the novel of the same name by Keigo Higashino. Cast * Gorō Kishitani * Kyoko Fukada * Tae Kimura * Ken Ishiguro * Masaya Kikawada * Ken Tanaka (actor), Ken Tanaka * Hisako Manda * ...
'' (2011) *'' The Wings of the Kirin'' (2012) *''Platinum Data'' (2013) *''
Midsummer's Equation is a 2013 Japanese police procedural film directed by Hiroshi Nishitani. Cast * Masaharu Fukuyama as Manabu Yukawa * Yuriko Yoshitaka as Misa Kishitani * Kazuki Kitamura * Anne Watanabe * Gin Maeda * Jun Fubuki Reception The film grossed () i ...
'' (2013) *''Broken , Banghwanghaneun Kalnal'' (2014) *'' The Big Bee , Tenku no Hachi'' (2015) *''
Shippu Rondo is a 2016 Japanese action/comedy film directed by Teruyuki Yoshida based on the novel by Keigo Higashino. The movie was produced by Kazuma Kuryu and Takako Oki. Its release date was November 26, 2016. By the first screenings, the film had earne ...
'' (2016) *''
Miracles of the Namiya General Store is a 2012 Japanese novel written by Keigo Higashino and published by Kadokawa Shoten. Plot In 1980, the Namiya General Store becomes popular with citizens after its owner, Yūji Namiya, accepts people's advice letters seeking advice for anythi ...
, Namiya Zakkaten no Kiseki'' (2017) *''The House Where The Mermaid Sleeps , Ningyo no Nemuru Ie'' (2018) *'' The Crimes That Bind , Inori no Maku ga Oriru Toki'' (2018) *'' Laplace's Witch , Rapurasu no Majo'' (2018) *'' Masquerade Hotel'' (2019) *''Parallel World Love Story'' (2019) *''Masquerade Night'' (2021) *''Silent Parade'' (2022)


Japanese TV dramas

*''Tokio chichi e no dengon'' (2004 Aug–Sep, Original Title: ''Tokio'', 2002) *'' Byakuyakō'' (2006) *''
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...
'' (2007 and 2008, Original Title: ''Tantei Galileo'', 1998, ''Yochimu'', 2000, and ''Galileo no Kunō'', 2008) *''
Ryūsei no Kizuna is a Detective fiction, detective novel by Keigo Higashino. It was serialized in Weekly Gendai from 16 September 2006 to 15 September 2007 and was published into one ''tankōbon'' volume by Kodansha on 5 March 2008. The novel was published in p ...
'' (2008) *'' Meitantei no Okite'' (2009) *''Himitsu'' (2010) *''
Shinzanmono is a detective Japanese television drama, part of the Spring 2010 season of the Japanese TBS Network. It is based on the same-name novel in the "Kyōichirō Kaga" series by mystery author Keigo Higashino and is set and filmed in the Ningyo-cho ar ...
'' (2010) *''Higashino Keigo Mysteries'' (2012, Original Title: ''Hannin no Inai Satsujin no Yoru'', 1990, ''Ayashii Hitobito'', 1994, and ''Ano Koro no Dareka'', 2011) *'' Galileo II'' (2013 and SP, 2013, Original Title: ''Seijo no Kyūsai'', 2008, ''Galileo no Kunō'', 2008, ''Kyozō no Dōkeshi'', 2012, and ''Kindan no Majutsu'', 2012) *''Dangerous Venus'' (2020) *''The Forbidden Magic'' (2022)


South Korean films

*'' White Night'' (2009) *''
Perfect Number In number theory, a perfect number is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its positive proper divisors, that is, divisors excluding the number itself. For instance, 6 has proper divisors 1, 2 and 3, and 1 + 2 + 3 = 6, so 6 is a perfec ...
'' (2012) *'' Broken'' (2014)


French film

*'' The Secret'' (2007, based on ''Himitsu''; French title: ''Si J'etais Toi'', meaning "If I Were You")


Chinese film

*''
Namiya ''Namiya'' is a 2017 Chinese fantasy film directed by Han Jie, based on the 2012 novel '' Miracles of the Namiya General Store'' by Keigo Higashino. It stars Jackie Chan as the titular shop owner, with Dilraba Dilmurat, Karry Wang and Hao Lei in ...
'' (2017, based on ''Namiya Zakkaten no Kiseki'')


Indian film

*''
Monica, O My Darling ''Monica, O My Darling'' is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language neo-noir dark comedy crime thriller film directed by Vasan Bala. The film stars Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte. It is based on the 1989 Japanese detective novel ''Burutasu N ...
'' (Hindi language 2022 film based on ''Burutasu No Shinzou'') *'' Jaane Jaan'' (2023 Hindi Language film based on '' The Devotion of Suspect X'' )


See also

* Japanese detective fiction


Notes


References


External links


J'Lit , Authors : Keigo Higashino , Books from Japan

Author official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higashino, Keigo 1958 births 20th-century Japanese novelists 21st-century Japanese novelists Japanese crime fiction writers Japanese mystery writers Naoki Prize winners Mystery Writers of Japan Award winners Edogawa Rampo Prize winners Honkaku Mystery Award winners Living people People from Ikuno, Osaka Writers from Osaka Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon