Kaji was 69. He was chief executive at his puzzle company,
Nikoli Co.until July and died at his home in Mitaka, a city in the Tokyo metro
area. Kaji is survived by his wife Naomi and two daughters.
Known as the "Godfather of Sudoku," Kaji
created the puzzle to be easy for those who didn't want to think too hard. Its
name is made up of the Japanese characters for "number" and
"single," and players place the numbers 1 through 9 in rows, columns
and blocks without repeating them.
Ironically, it wasn't until 2004 when Sudoku became
a global hit, after a fan from New Zealand got it published in the British
newspaper The Times. Two years later, Japan rediscovered its own puzzle as a
"gyakuyunyu," or "reimport."
Maki traveled to more than 30 countries spreading his enjoyment of puzzles. Sudoku championships have drawn some 200 million people in 100 countries over the years, according to Tokyo-based Nikoli.
Sudoku was never trademarked except within Japan,
driving its overseas craze, Nikoli said.
"Kaji-san came up with the name Sudoku and was
loved by puzzle fans from all over the world. We are grateful from the bottom
of our hearts for the patronage you have shown throughout his life," the
company said in a statement.
Originally, Sudoku was called
"Suji-wa-Dokushin-ni-Kagiru," which translates to, "Numbers
should be single, a bachelor." In recent years, Sudoku, believed to be the
world's most popular pencil puzzle, has come out in digital versions.
Born in the main northern island of Hokkaido, Maki
started Japan's first puzzle magazine after dropping out of Keio University in
Tokyo. He founded Nikoli in 1983, and came up with Sudoku about the same time.
Yoshinao Anpuku, who succeeded Kaji as Nikoli's
chief executive, said Kaji made friends easily and had a "unique and
playful approach toward life."
"Our mission is to pursue Maki's vision and
possibilities," Anpuku said.
Nikoli has provided original puzzles to more than
100 media companies, 10 of them foreign ones.
Major Japanese newspaper Mainichi in its obituary
credited Kaji for starting the puzzle sections at bookstores, as well as
introducing the word "Sudoku" into the Oxford English dictionary.
Final round during the Philadelphia Inquirer Sudoku National Championship in Philadelphia
From NPR
