Japan's Kenzaburo Oe, awarded Nobel for poetic fiction, dies

TOKYO: Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe, whose darkly poetic novels were built from his childhood memories during Japan's postwar occupation and from being the parent of a disabled son, has died. He was 88.

His publisher, Kodansha Ltd., said in a statement Monday that Oe had died of old age on March 3. The publisher did not give further details about his death and said his funeral was held by his family.