Japanese novelist Ryū Murakami has died at the age of 74, publisher Gentosha revealed on Friday. Murakami died on October 17, according to the announcement.
Ryū Murakami (Credits: Anime News Network)
Murakami was born in Nagasaki Prefecture in 1952 and made his literary debut with the novel Almost Transparent Blue, which went on to sell more than 3.5 million copies and established him as one of Japan’s most distinctive literary voices.
His work crossed frequently between literature and film. Murakami wrote and directed film adaptations of some of his own novels, bringing his unflinching, often provocative storytelling from the page to the screen.
Ryū Murakami Dies at 74: Love and Pop and Hideaki Anno Film
Among his best-known works is his 1996 novel Love and Pop: Topaz II, which inspired the 1998 live-action film Love and Pop, directed by Hideaki Anno, the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The film found a new audience decades later when GKIDS screened it in North American theatres in February 2025, followed by a home video release.
Murakami’s other major works include Coin Locker Babies, The World in Five Minutes From Now, Kyoko and Tokyo Decadence, novels that explored modern Japan with a raw, restless energy and earned him a lasting reputation far beyond literary circles.
Beyond writing, Murakami was also known as an interviewer on the economic talk show The Cambrian Palace, a role that showed another side of a career spent observing and questioning contemporary Japanese society.
News of his death has prompted tributes from readers and film fans alike, many of whom first discovered his work through the Anno-directed adaptation of Love and Pop or through the enduring success of Almost Transparent Blue. His novels remain in print and continue to influence writers and filmmakers drawn to his fearless portrait of youth, city life and modern Japan.
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Source: Anime News Network — read the full story there.
