Japanese writer and filmmaker Ryu Murakami has died at the age of 74. The news was confirmed by his publisher, Gentosha, through an extensive statement posted on its website.
According to the publisher's statement, Murakami passed away at his home on October 17, 2026. The publisher expressed its condolences and noted that the funeral was held privately, attended only by family, who have requested that no condolence visits, monetary offerings, floral tributes, telegrams, or other gifts be sent.
Who was Ryu Murakami
Born in Nagasaki Prefecture in 1952, Murakami debuted as a writer in 1976, while still a university student, with the novel Almost Transparent Blue. The work earned him the 19th Gunzo Prize for New Writers and the 75th Akutagawa Prize, two of Japan's most prestigious literary awards.
The book became a bestseller, with more than 3.5 million copies sold across its hardcover and paperback editions. In 1980, Murakami received the 3rd Noma Literary New Face Prize for Coin Locker Babies.
A career spanning literature and film
In addition to his career as a novelist, Murakami wrote and directed several film adaptations of his own works. Notable among them are Tokyo Decadence, which portrays the lives of women in Tokyo during the Japanese economic bubble era, and Kyoko, which focuses on the relationship between a young Japanese woman and a Cuban-American soldier stationed in the country.
In 1994, he published A World Five Minutes Later, set in an alternate reality where Japan does not surrender during World War II. In 1997, he won the 49th Yomiuri Literary Prize for In the Miso Soup.
Outside of the literary and film spheres, Murakami was also the main interviewer for the economic and business talk show Cambrian Palace, which aired for years on TV Tokyo.
Frequently asked questions about Ryu Murakami
When did Ryu Murakami die?
Ryu Murakami passed away at his home on October 17, 2026, at the age of 74, as confirmed by his publisher, Gentosha.
What literary work is Ryu Murakami best known for?
He is especially known for Almost Transparent Blue, his debut novel published in 1976, which won the Gunzo Prize for New Writers and the Akutagawa Prize, and sold more than 3.5 million copies.
What other notable works did Ryu Murakami write?
Among his most significant works are Coin Locker Babies, winner of the Noma Literary New Face Prize, A World Five Minutes Later, and In the Miso Soup, for which he received the Yomiuri Literary Prize in 1997.
Did Ryu Murakami also work in film?
Yes. Murakami wrote and directed film adaptations of his own novels, including Tokyo Decadence and Kyoko.
How was Ryu Murakami’s funeral held?
According to his publisher, the funeral was a private service for family only. Following the family's wishes, condolence visits, monetary offerings, floral tributes, and telegrams were declined.
