Best known here in the world of horror for writing the original 1997 novel Audition, Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker Ryū Murakami has passed away this week at the age of 74.
Ryū Murakami’s novel Audition was of course adapted by Takashi Miike two years later, with Miike’s Audition becoming one of the most iconic Japanese horror movies of all time.
Murakami also wrote the novels Almost Transparent Blue, Coin Locker Babies, and In the Miso Soup, all of which earned the author various awards as well as critical acclaim.
Almost Transparent Blue was turned into a movie in 1979, with Ryū Murakami himself directing the adaptation. He also directed the films All Right, My Friend, Tokyo Decadence, and Because of You. More recently, Murakami’s novel Piercing was adapted by director Nicolas Pesce in 2018, with the same-titled movie adaptation starring Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska.
Murakami’s longtime publisher Gentosha writes in a statement, “Beginning with Almost Transparent Blue, Ryū Murakami continued to publish provocative works aimed at younger generations. We are deeply saddened by the news of his untimely passing. We pray that this pioneering figure, who forged ahead at the forefront of his era, may now rest in peace.”
We send our deepest condolences to Murakami’s family, friends, and many fans.
