Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino Photo: VCG

Keigo Higashino, the celebrated Japanese novelist whose bestselling works captivated millions of readers in China and spawn numerous film and television adaptations across Asia, died of colorectal cancer on July 23 at the age of 68, Japanese media reported on Monday. 

Following the news, Higashino-related topics quickly dominated X-like Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo on Monday afternoon. 

"Thank you for creating so many unforgettable worlds of human emotion," a Weibo user commented. "You never stopped pushing beyond your comfort zone. Your work has been a lifelong source of inspiration, and an example I will always strive to follow."

Another comment that received hundreds likes read "This feels so sudden. I've been reading Mr Higashino's books since I was a teenager, and somehow I always thought he still had so many more stories to tell. Goodbye, Mr. Higashino. Thank you for all the wonderful hours of reading you've given me."

Higashino enjoyed exceptional popularity in China, where his novels have remained fixtures on bestseller lists for years. 

Chinese readers frequently praised Higashino's ability to blend logical deduction with emotional depth, making his novels accessible beyond traditional detective fiction enthusiasts.

Books by Japanese mystery novelist Keigo Higashino are displayed at a bookstore in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: VCG

Chinese translations of The Devotion of Suspect X, Journey Under the Midnight Sun and The Miracles of the Namiya General Store introduced generations of readers to Japanese mystery fiction, while several of his works were adapted into films, further expanding his influence.

His storytelling also helped shape the tastes of Chinese mystery readers and inspired numerous domestic crime fiction writers, including popular author Zijin Chen, who has publicly credited Higashino with motivating him to embark on a writing career.

Born in Osaka in 1958, Higashino graduated from Osaka Prefecture University with a degree in electrical engineering before beginning his literary career while working as an engineer. He made his debut in 1985 after winning the Edogawa Rampo Prize for his novel After School.

Over a writing career spanning four decades, Higashino became one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary novelists, publishing more than 100 works centered largely on mystery and crime fiction. 

Higashino's best-known work, The Devotion of Suspect X, published in 2005, won both the Naoki Prize and the Honkaku Mystery Award. The novel, part of his popular Detective Galileo series, was adapted into films and television dramas in multiple countries. 

Other landmark works, including Journey Under the Midnight Sun, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, the Kyoichiro Kaga series and the Masquerade series, were also adapted for the screen and became international bestsellers.