7/29/2026
On July 23, I was surprised to hear the news of the passing of Keigo Higashino (東野圭吾), the renowned Japanese mystery novelist.
Born in Osaka in 1958, Keigo Higashino majored in electrical engineering and worked as an engineer before turning to writing. He wrote in his spare time, won a literary prize in 1985, and eventually resigned from his engineering job to become a full-time author.
His road to success was anything but easy. It took years before he established himself as one of Japan's leading novelists. Over a four-decade writing career, he published more than one hundred books and received numerous literary honors, including Japan's Medal with Purple Ribbon.
One aspect of Higashino's writing that I have found especially fascinating is his mastery of leaving narrative blank space.
Instead of explaining everything, he intentionally leaves certain details unsaid, allowing readers to infer, imagine, and reach their own conclusions.
These carefully arranged gaps are one reason his novels stay with readers long after the final page. Even after closing the book, you find yourself replaying the story, filling in the missing pieces, and discovering new meanings.
I have tried to learn from this technique in my own writing, particularly in my essays about Liu Kaixin and about the phenomenon of "read but unreplied" (已读不回).
Rather than stating every lesson explicitly, I have learned that it is often more powerful to stop just before the final conclusion. Readers tend to remember the insights they discover for themselves more vividly than those simply handed to them.
Lately, it has occurred to me that this principle extends far beyond writing.
Sometimes, less is more. The same idea applies to parenting.
There is a popular Chinese saying:
懒妈妈养勤快孩子，勤快妈妈养懒孩子。
Lǎn māma yǎng qínkuài háizi, qínkuài māma yǎng lǎn háizi.
Literally, it means, "A 'lazy' mother raises a hardworking child, while a hardworking mother raises a lazy child."
Of course, it does not mean to encourage parents to be lazy. Rather, it reminds us that parents should not do everything for them when the child can do it himself.
A child who is given opportunities to solve problems, make decisions, and shoulder responsibilities gradually develops ability, independence and confidence.
A child whose path is constantly cleared by parents may instead become dependent on them.
Perhaps writing and parenting are not so different after all.
A skilled writer leaves space for readers to think. A wise parent leaves space for children to grow.
Both understand that growth often comes not from being given every answer, but from discovering some answers for ourselves.
