Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami, regarded alongside Haruki Murakami as one of the two pillars of contemporary Japanese literature, has died at the age of 74, VnExpress reported. His publisher Gentosha said in an announcement on 23 October that he died at home on 17 October.
Gentosha said it was deeply saddened and unable to contain its grief at his sudden death, describing him as a writer who spent his whole career bringing out bold works for young readers. The announcement, as reported by VnExpress, did not give a cause of death.
A life in brief
A KBVN+ timeline based on VnExpress:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1952 | Born in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture |
| High school | Plays drums in a rock band |
| 1976 | While a student at Musashino Art University, publishes his debut novel Almost Transparent Blue, which wins the Gunzo Prize for New Writers and the Akutagawa Prize |
| 1981 | Coin Locker Babies wins the Noma Literary New Face Prize |
| 1997 | Publishes the novel Audition |
| 1999 | Takashi Miike's film adaptation of Audition is released |
| 2026 | Dies at home on 17 October; Gentosha announces his death on 23 October |
The rebel of Japanese letters
As cited by VnExpress, the Guardian called him the rebel of contemporary Japanese literature for the raw way he wrote violence, drug use and sex into stories that sharply criticised Japanese and American culture. His debut, Almost Transparent Blue, depicted the dissolute lives of a group of young people and earned him the Akutagawa, Japan's most prestigious literary prize.
Journalist David Pilling once wrote that Ryu's books were edgier and angrier than Haruki's, VnExpress noted, likening Haruki to the Beatles of Japanese literature and Ryu to the Rolling Stones.
Over his career he wrote more than 40 novels and short-story collections, including Coin Locker Babies, In the Miso Soup, Audition, Piercing and Popular Hits of the Showa Era. Coin Locker Babies follows children abandoned in coin lockers; writing in the Guardian, as quoted by VnExpress, Russell Thomas said Murakami's stories never shied away from exposing the darkest corners of society.
More than a novelist
Ryu Murakami also worked as a film director, producer, painter, radio DJ and photographer, and many of his books were adapted for the screen, by himself or by other filmmakers. The best known is Audition (1999), directed by Takashi Miike, about a widower who holds fake casting sessions to find a new girlfriend. According to VnExpress, it is still regarded as one of the most disturbing horror films to come out of Asia.
Reading Ryu Murakami in Vietnamese
For Vietnamese readers looking for a way in, VnExpress lists the following translations:
- Xuyên thấu (Văn học Publishing House and Bách Việt, 2008)
- Thử vai (Hội Nhà văn Publishing House, 2009)
- Thích gì làm nấy (Social Sciences Publishing House, 2017)
- Màu xanh trong suốt (Dân Trí Publishing House, 2022)