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Keigo Higashino

ひがしの けいご

Higashino Keigo

Pen Names: Keigo Higashino（Real name and pen name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1958-02-04 （Ikuno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist
Active Years
1985-

Education

Osaka Prefectural University
Faculty of Engineering / Department of Electrical Engineering
Degree: 学士
Year of Graduation: 1981
Country: Japan
Studied in the Department of Electrical Engineering; served as captain of the archery club during university

Awards

Edogawa Rampo Prize
1985
Work: After School
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: 受賞
Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel
1999
Work: Secret
Category: 長編部門
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: 受賞
Naoki Prize
2006
Work: The Devotion of Suspect X
Organization: Naoki Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Honkaku Mystery Award for Best Novel
2006
Work: The Devotion of Suspect X
Category: 小説部門
Organization: Honkaku Mystery Writers Club
Result: 受賞
Chuo Koron Literary Prize
2012
Work: Miracles of the Namiya General Store
Organization: Chuo Koron Shinsha
Result: 受賞
Shibata Renzaburo Prize
2013
Work: Illusory Flower
Organization: Shibata Renzaburo Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature
2014
Work: When the Curtain of Prayer Descends
Organization: Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Promotion Association
Result: 受賞
Kikuchi Kan Prize
2023
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Order of the Purple Ribbon
2023
Organization: Japanese Government
Result: 受章
Order of the Blue Ribbon
2024
Organization: Japanese Government
Result: 受章
Japan Mystery Literature Award
2024
Organization: Japan Mystery Literature Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Secret

1998 Mystery novel

A mystery novel depicting complex human psychology.

psychologymysteryfamily
Adaptations
  • [Film] Secret / 滝田洋二郎 (1999)
  • [TV drama] Secret (2010)
  • [Film] The Secret / ヴァンサン・ペレーズ (2007)

Journey Under the Midnight Sun

1999 Mystery novel

A long mystery novel portraying the lives of two contrasting characters.

lifemysteryyin-yang
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2006)
  • [Film] Journey Under the Midnight Sun / 深川栄洋 (2011)
  • [Film] White Night / パク・シヌ (2009)

The Devotion of Suspect X

2006 Mystery novel

A mystery novel depicting the devoted love between a mathematician and a woman.

lovemysterydevotion
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Devotion of Suspect X / 西谷弘 (2008)
  • [Film] Suspect X / パン・ウンジン (2012)

Ryusei no Kizuna

2008 Mystery

A story of three siblings focusing on family bonds and revenge.

familybondsrevenge
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Ryusei no Kizuna (2008)

Miracles of the Namiya General Store

2012 Fantasy

A story about life miracles through letters received by a general store.

fantasylifemiracle
Adaptations
  • [Film] Miracles of the Namiya General Store / 廣木隆一 (2017)
  • [Film] Namiya General Store / 韓傑 (2017)

When the Curtain of Prayer Descends

2013 Mystery novel

A detective mystery depicting the moment when the curtain of prayer descends.

mysterydetectivecase
Adaptations
  • [Film] When the Curtain of Prayer Descends / 福澤克雄 (2018)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Diverse genresSocial mystery novelsIntricate plot developmentRich psychological description
Recurring Motifs
social issuesfamily relationshipsrevengelove

Legacy

Keigo Higashino is a leading contemporary Japanese mystery writer, praised for his diverse genres and deep psychological descriptions. Many of his works have been adapted into films and dramas, exerting significant influence on popular culture.

Trivia

  • Early works often involve mathematics and science.
  • Was rejected 15 times in literary awards.
  • Has a cat named 'Yumekichi'.
  • Father changed the family name reading from 'Tono' to 'Higashino'.