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Haruki Murakami

むらかみ はるき

Murakami Haruki

Pen Names: Haruki Murakami（Used as his author name (same as birth name)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949-01-12 （Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan → Nishinomiya & Ashiya, Hyōgo, Japan (raised) → Tokyo (Kokubunji, Sendagaya, Shinjuku, etc.) → Europe (stays in Greece, Italy, UK, etc.) → United States (Princeton, etc.) → Hawaii (vacation home; seasonal stays)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Translator, Essayist
Active Years
1979-
Influenced By
Immanuel Kant, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Carl Gustav Jung, Sigmund Freud, Franz Kafka, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, J. D. Salinger, Stephen King, Raymond Carver
Influenced
Yukio Ninagawa, Yoko Ogawa, Makoto Shinkai, Shikao Suga, Mieko Kawakami, Hideo Furukawa, Jun Maeda, Kazuo Ishiguro

Education

Waseda University, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences I
Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences I / Theatre Studies
Degree: 文学士
Period: 1968-1975
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: Japan
Undergraduate thesis on 'The Idea of the Journey in American Cinema'. Ran a jazz cafe while a student.

Awards

Gunzo New Writers' Prize
1979
Work: Hear the Wind Sing
Organization: Gunzo (Magazine)
Result: 受賞
Noma Literary New Face Prize
1982
Work: A Wild Sheep Chase
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: 受賞
Tanizaki Prize
1985
Work: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Organization: Tanizaki Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize
1996
Work: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Franz Kafka Prize
2006
Organization: Franz Kafka Society
Result: 受賞
Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award
2006
Work: Short story collection (e.g. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman)
Organization: Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award
Result: 受賞
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
2009
Work: 1Q84
Organization: Mainichi Newspapers
Result: 受賞
Jerusalem Prize
2009
Organization: Jerusalem Municipality / Jerusalem Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Honorary Doctorate (Literature), Princeton University
2008
Organization: Princeton University
Result: 授与
Catalonia International Prize
2011
Organization: Catalonia International Prize Foundation
Result: 受賞
Order of Arts and Letters (Spain)
2009
Organization: Spanish Government
Result: 受勲
Die Welt Literature Prize
2014
Organization: Die Welt (newspaper)
Result: 受賞
Andersen Literature Award
2016
Organization: Andersen Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Princess of Asturias Award for Literature
2023
Organization: Princess of Asturias Foundation
Result: 受賞
Cino Del Duca World Prize
2022
Organization: Cino Del Duca Foundation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hear the Wind Sing

1979 Novel (debut)

Murakami's debut novella depicting the life and loneliness of young men in the city in a fresh, accessible style; early signs of his later themes.

lonelinessalienation of youthinfluence of American culture
Translations
  • Hear the Wind Sing (English translation available)

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

1985 Novel (fantastic / speculative elements)

A dual-structured novel in which reality and an alternate world intertwine; an experimental work blending philosophical and fantastic elements.

intersection of reality and otherworldmemory and identity
Translations
  • Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (English translation)

Norwegian Wood

1987 Novel (coming-of-age)

Set in 1960s Tokyo, this coming-of-age novel explores love and loss; it became a major bestseller in Japan and established Murakami as a national figure.

lossromancewounds of youth
Adaptations
  • [Film] Norwegian Wood (film) / トラン・アン・ユン (Tran Anh Hung) (2010)
Translations
  • Norwegian Wood (English translation)

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

1994 Novel (magical realism; encyclopedic novel attempt)

A sprawling narrative that intertwines personal trajectory and social wounds; a representative work where dream, reality, and myth intersect.

memory and disappearancefamily and postwar shadowsindividual and society
Translations
  • The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (English translation)

Kafka on the Shore

2002 Novel (experimental; fantastic)

Two interwoven narratives — a teenage boy and a middle-aged man — combine with mythic and supernatural elements; its English translation received significant acclaim.

self-discoveryfatemusic and literature
Translations
  • Kafka on the Shore (English translation)

1Q84

2009 Novel (modern epic; fantasy elements)

A long work told from multiple perspectives; set in a world subtly different from reality ('1Q84'), where relationships and fate intertwine.

parallel worldslove and violencechains of fate
Translations
  • 1Q84 (English translation)

Bibliography

  • Hear the Wind Sing
  • Pinball, 1973
  • A Wild Sheep Chase
  • Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
  • Norwegian Wood
  • The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
  • Kafka on the Shore
  • 1Q84
  • Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
  • Killing Commendatore

Adaptations

  • Norwegian Wood (film adaptation, 2010)
  • Drive My Car (film adaptation, 2021)
  • Tony Takitani (film adaptation, 2004)
  • Barn Burning / 'Barn' (short story) — partial inspiration for film 'Burning' (2018)

Translations by Author

  • The Catcher in the Rye (new Japanese translation)
  • The Great Gatsby (new Japanese translation)
  • Works by Raymond Chandler (multiple translations)
  • Raymond Carver (complete translations)

Translations of Works

  • Kafka on the Shore
  • Norwegian Wood
  • The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
  • 1Q84

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Plain, rhythmical proseNarrative influenced by American fictionSeamless movement between reality and the fantastic
Recurring Motifs
lonelinessdisappearance of lovers/wives/friendscatsmusic (jazz, rock)underground/otherworld

Health

  • Former heavy smoker
    若年期〜羊をめぐる冒険執筆期まで（2000年代以前に禁煙）
    Affected lifestyle and work in earlier years; later quit smoking
  • Regular marathon running
    1982年開始〜現在まで（継続）
    Daily running and marathon training contribute to concentration and stamina for writing, according to the author

Legacy

A leading contemporary Japanese author with global influence. Translated into 50+ languages, Murakami's work has impacted literature, film, music and popular culture. He has received numerous international awards and established a significant worldwide readership.

Museums

  • Waseda University International Library of Japanese Literature (Murakami Haruki Library) Waseda University campus, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan Opened in 2021

Academic Societies

  • Waseda University International Library of Japanese Literature (collections / cooperation)

Archives

  • Waseda University International Library of Japanese Literature (Murakami Haruki archives)

In Popular Culture

  • The devoted fan culture known as 'Harukists'
  • Numerous film/stage adaptations, ties to music, and merchandising (e.g., UNIQLO collaborations)

Quotes

  • Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg.
    Source: Jerusalem Prize acceptance speech (2009) (2009)

Trivia

  • Ran a jazz cafe 'Peter Cat' while at university
  • Was once a heavy smoker but later quit
  • Regular runner; has completed marathons and participates in triathlons
  • Favorite food: fried oysters (kaki-fry)
  • Longtime fan of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows (honorary member)