Tributes pour in for Japanese author

Japanese mystery writer Keigo Higashino passed away on July 23 at the age of 68. Following the announcement on Monday, readers in China, his largest overseas market, took to social media to express their sorrow and pay tribute to his literary legacy.

Soon after the news was announced, Higashino's representative works — The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, Malice and The Devotion of Suspect X — entered the top 10 most-searched titles on WeRead, one of China's leading e-book platforms.

Higashino began his writing career in 1985 with the mystery novel After School, which won the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize. By the time of his final novel, Eternal Memory, which is scheduled to be published on Aug 5, he had authored 106 books.

By 2023, his works had sold more than 100 million copies in Japan and been translated into 37 languages, reaching readers in more than 41 countries and regions. International sales totaled 68 million copies, with China emerging as his largest overseas market, with sales of nearly 50 million copies.

Chinese publisher Thinkingdom Media, known for its mystery titles, has published 52 of Higashino's books, with combined sales exceeding 23 million copies. The simplified Chinese edition of The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, released in 2014, sold more than 10 million copies within four years, while Journey Under the Midnight Sun sold more than nine million copies.

In 2017, Higashino earned 22 million yuan ($3.1 million) in royalties from China, surpassing British author J. K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series, to become the country's highest-earning foreign writer that year. He topped the list of the richest foreign authors in China for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019, with royalties of 42 million yuan in 2018 and 30 million yuan in 2019.

Many Chinese readers shared memories of discovering his works and the impact they had on their lives.

A reader using the screen name Lakuda recalled first reading Higashino's novels in junior middle school.

"You have put down your pen, but the gentleness, clarity and empathy you left to millions of readers will remain in the world forever. Thank you for accompanying me throughout my youth," the reader wrote.

Chinese mystery writer Zijin Chen reposted the news on Sina Weibo, saying The Devotion of Suspect X introduced him to detective fiction.

"I read it in 2012. It was my first encounter with detective fiction, and it inspired me to start writing my own novels. I'm shocked by the sudden news and feel a deep sense of loss," he wrote.

Another Weibo user, AnniweianVivian, commented under a China Central Television news post to highlight how Higashino's novels use intricate suspense as a framework while exploring the complexity of human nature through love, hatred, choices and obsession.

"I deeply admire Higashino's works, including Mysterious Night and The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, and will always treasure them," the user wrote.

Another reader, Wangdaotie-Barry, thanked Higashino for creating "such profound emotional worlds".

"Journey Under the Midnight Sun drew me into the world of mystery fiction. Works such as Malice, The Devotion of Suspect X, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store and When the Curtain of Prayer Descends have amazed me time and again," the reader wrote.