Remembering Higashino Keigo: A Tribute to Japan’s Mystery King
Books CultureThe Devotion of Suspect Xwas first published, shares his memories of the author and his best-known work.
A Blockbuster Author
(Note: this article includes plot details for The Devotion of Suspect X.)
“A giant has fallen.” This might seem like an old-fashioned expression, but as someone who has long worked in the publishing industry, it is the only way I can think of to describe the passing of Higashino Keigo. The blockbuster author with more than 100 books, and cumulative sales easily exceeding 100 million copies, was a leading light of popular fiction in Japan, and captivated many readers in translation in the United States, China, and beyond.
Although I was never his primary editor, and did not have a particularly close relationship with him, as a member of the publishing house for his signature mystery series about the physicist genius nicknamed Galileo, I was privileged to be able to know him. With deep gratitude for his kindness, and a profound sense of loss at the passing of a great author, I offer this modest tribute.
New Tricks
Higashino’s masterpiece The Devotion of Suspect X, which is already a landmark in the Japanese mystery genre, first appeared in a literary magazine published by Bungeishunjū. As the journal’s editor-in-chief at that time, I eagerly awaited the arrival of his 30 or so manuscript pages each month, although I was secretly fretting about what would happen next in this entirely unpredictable novel. Whenever I encountered him at parties or Ginza bars, I would tell him how I was enjoying the latest installment. One day, he said to me, “I’m going to use a trick that nobody has ever thought of before at any time, anywhere in the world.” His face was filled with confidence and conviction.
These tricks are the lifeblood of the genre. The author’s confidence was linked to his ambition to come up with a gimmick so unpredictable that it would astonish mystery lovers everywhere.
I was thrilled. I, his main editor, and everyone at Bungeishunjū had high hopes that with this book, he could finally win the prestigious Naoki Prize. He was already a bestselling author, but while he had several times been nominated, he had never received the prize.
The novel turned out to be magnificent. A lonely mathematician enters a fierce battle of wits with Galileo, his college friend and rival, to conceal a murder committed by the mother and daughter living next door. The key to the cover-up is to carry out a second, entirely unrelated murder. I was stunned by this unexpected twist and reveled in the perfection of the mystery.
Yet, this was not all that was great about the novel. The heart of the mystery and the central theme was its biggest puzzle: why would the mathematician commit murder for a neighbor he barely knew? As Higashino sometimes said, the biggest mystery is the human heart, and he convinces the reader that this is true through his deep insight into people. This is what makes the book so brilliant.
The Devotion of Suspect X did indeed win the Naoki Prize. As master of ceremonies for the selection committee meeting, I saw it earn praise from literary heavyweights who were previously somewhat critical of Higashino’s works, while the judge Hiraiwa Yumie, who had long recognized his talent, hailed the depth of the story’s world. Higashino expanded his readership at a stroke, and established himself as one of the country’s leading authors. He remained at the top for the next 20 years, which was unprecedented.
On Screen
A short story collection by Higashino had previously been adapted into the hit television drama Galileo starring Fukuyama Masaharu. The Devotion of Suspect X followed up its Naoki Prize success with the film version Suspect X. At an advance screening, I was sitting next to the author. When the film reached its climax and the mathematician’s desperate “devotion” had come to nothing, leading him to wail like a beast, I was completely shattered. Although surrounded by junior colleagues, I could not help myself and started sobbing out loud. Caught up in the emotion, I made a ridiculous comment to Higashino. “How can you watch this so calmly?”
“It’d be a bit strange if I started crying,” he responded with a faint smile.
Suspect X was a massive box-office hit, grossing nearly ¥5 billion. I believe total sales of the book, including paperback editions, have far surpassed 3 million copies. Subsequent entries in the Galileo series appeared in succession and were adapted for the big screen, becoming a cornerstone of Bungeishunjū’s revenue. The latest book Eternal Memory (tragically, the last) will be released in Japanese on August 5. I will appreciate his final work with great reverence.
A Warm Heart
I think Higashino was generally seen as composed and stylish, and he was good-looking too. Even alongside someone as handsome as Fukuyama Masaharu in a Ginza bar, onlookers around them whispered to each other, “He even looks good in this company.”
But drinking late at night with his editors and others close to him, he was eager to entertain, letting his inner Osakan shine through, and making everyone laugh. As he downed whisky on the rocks, we became intoxicated by his wit and the range of his talk, so that time seemed to stand still. We would keep talking until two, three, or sometimes even four in the morning. Though he appeared reserved on the surface, he always showed others care and consideration.
Perhaps because of this, he was a master of public speaking.
When the great travel mystery writer Nishimura Kyōtarō passed away, a memorial service was held in Atami, where he had lived. On the stage in front of many representatives of the publishing industry, Higashino brought his speech to an end with the following words.
“For the first ten years of my career, my books didn’t sell at all. The reason I was able to keep putting them out was that Nishimura had so many readers that he kept the publishers thriving. It may be presumptuous to say so, but I intend to take on that role from now on. So please, everyone, support struggling authors.”
Even as I write this, Higashino’s memorable words come flooding back to me. At a memorial service for Bandō Masako, who was a similar age to him, he made every effort to convey how talented a writer she was. I was greatly moved by his wonderful tribute and his sorrow over the death of a colleague.
He was just 68 when he died. While I grieve a life cut far too short, when I think of the energy it required to leave behind such a huge number of classics, I have sometimes wondered if he lived life at double the speed of an ordinary person. There is even some evidence to support this. Among his editors, it was known that whenever he injured himself in his beloved hobby of snowboarding, he would heal remarkably quickly. Higashino himself was baffled by this, and once commented, “Since I was a kid, my injuries would get better right away. I think my cells must divide faster than most people’s.”
Now, the genius writer, who applied his scientific knowledge to construct a monumental legacy in the mystery genre, has departed like a passing breeze. Japan’s publishing world is in a state of mourning.
- Higashino Keigo’s Yōgisha X no kenshinis translated asThe Devotion of Suspect Xby Alexander O. Smith.
(Originally published in Japanese on July 29, 2026. Banner photo: A Japanese edition of Yōgisha X no kenshin (The Devotion of Suspect X) by Higashino Keigo, at left; Higashino Keigo in January 2006 when he was awarded the Naoki Prize. © Jiji.)