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Koji Suzuki, Author of Horror Novel Ring, Dies at 68 in Tokyo
The Japanese writer whose 1991 novel spawned international film hits and helped define a wave of J-horror died Sunday at a Tokyo hospital. Suzuki, 68, began his career with the award-winning debut Rakuen and later earned literary recognition in both Japan and the United States.
May 9, 9:57 PM·1m read1 source
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Koji Suzuki, the Japanese author known for horror novels including "Ring," died at a Tokyo hospital on May 10, 2026. He was 68 years old. Suzuki's debut novel, titled Rakuen (Paradise), received the Superior Award at the 1990 Japan Fantasy Novel Awards.
Three years later he released the novel Ring in 1991. "Ring," released in 1991, was adapted into movies in and outside Japan, becoming major hits. Suzuki thus came to be seen as a leading figure in a Japanese horror boom.
His works received domestic and international acclaim. Suzuki's novel Rasen (Spiral) won the Eiji Yoshikawa literary award for newcomers in Japan. The novel Edge received the Shirley Jackson Award in the United States.
Other major works include Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara (Dark Water), Kamigami no Promenade (Promenade of the Gods) and Ubiquitous. Japan Times reported that Suzuki's death was announced Friday with no cause given. The author left a body of work that moved from genre fiction to broader literary recognition over three decades.
