The Japanese Man Who Made Sudoku A Worldwide Sensation Has Passed Away

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According to Reuters, the puzzle enthusiast took hints from existing American number puzzle called 'Number Place' and revised its design so that the puzzle became simpler to understand and play.

He named it 'Sudoku', which is short for a Japanese expression – 'Suji wa dokushin ni kagiru' – that means, 'every number must be single'.

The university dropout then started a small publishing firm called Nikoli making puzzle magazines, where he trademarked and introduced Sudoku to Japan in 1984.

And the rest is history. Sudoku is played by millions all over the world and can be found in over 600 national newspapers.

It is also praised as a way to keep mental faculties sharp, and has drawn people to compete in world championships that have been held annually since 2006.

According to BBC, Kaji, who continued to create and refine puzzles for his magazines over the years, said the joy of the game and of others enjoying it was more important to him than any monetary reward.

"I get really moved when I see a new idea for a puzzle which has lots of potential. It is like finding treasure," he told the BBC in 2007.

"It's not about whether it will make money, it is purely the excitement of trying to solve it."

He was chief executive at Nikoli until July this year.

"Known as the Godfather of Sudoku, Kaji was adored by puzzle lovers around the world and we would like to express our gratitude to all of you," wrote the company on its website on Monday, 16 August.