Maki Kaji was known as the “Father of Sudoku” for bringing the number puzzle to a worldwide audience through his magazine, Nikoli.
- Died: August 10, 2021 (Who else died on August 10?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Tokyo of bile duct cancer at the age of 69.
- We invite you to share condolences for Maki Kaji in our Guest Book.
Sudoku
The number puzzle now known as Sudoku existed before Kaji published it in Nikoli, Japan’s first puzzle magazine, which he founded in 1980. But the puzzle wasn’t widely known, and it didn’t have its now-ubiquitous name. Kaji found the game and fell in love with it, and he decided to perfect it and include it in Nikoli. He gave it the name Sudoku – roughly translating from Japanese to “every number must be single” – and began publishing it in Nikoli. Kaji later copyrighted the game. It became a worldwide phenomenon, and Nikoli estimates that 200 million people have solved a Sudoku.
Notable quote
“The secret to inventing a good puzzle is to make the rules simple and easy for everyone, including beginners. You have to be able to make both easy and difficult puzzles using the same rules.” —from a 2007 interview for BBC News
Tributes to Maki Kaji
Full obituary: The New York Times
