Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami dies at 74

Summary

Ryu Murakami, the Japanese novelist known for subversive, blackly comic fiction, has died aged 74. The Guardian reports that he died on 17 October at home, according to his Japanese publisher Gentosha. The Japan Times reports his death and says his works, which explored sex, violence and youth culture, were translated globally. The Guardian describes him as a bestselling writer and the enfant terrible of contemporary Japanese literature, who wrote more than 40 works including Audition, later made into an indie horror film.

Timeline

1. The Japan Times

   23 Oct 2026, 06:25 UTCSource ↗

   The Japan Times reports that Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami has died at 74, and that his works exploring sex, violence and youth culture were translated globally.

2. The Guardian

   23 Oct 2026, 13:21 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Ryu Murakami, the cult Japanese author of Coin Locker Babies and Audition, died aged 74 on 17 October at home, according to his Japanese publisher Gentosha.