Haruki MURAKAMI: In SEARCH of this elusive WRITER (DOCUMENTARY)

Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹, Murakami Haruki?, born January 12, 1949) is a Japanese writer and translator.[1] His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards.

He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature. The Guardian praised him as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his works and achievements.[2]

Murakami was born in Japan during the post--World War II baby boom.[3] Although born in Kyoto, he spent his youth in Shukugawa (Nishinomiya), Ashiya and Kobe.[4][5] His father was the son of a Buddhist priest,[6] and his mother the daughter of an Osaka merchant.[7] Both taught Japanese literature.[8]

Since childhood, Murakami has been heavily influenced by Western culture, particularly Western music and literature. He grew up reading a range of works by American writers, such as Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan, and he is often distinguished from other Japanese writers by his Western influences.[9]

Murakami studied drama at Waseda University in Tokyo, where he met his wife, Yoko. His first job was at a record store, which is where one of his main characters, Toru Watanabe in Norwegian Wood, works. Shortly before finishing his studies, Murakami opened the coffeehouse (jazz bar, in the evening) "Peter Cat" in Kokubunji, Tokyo with his wife[10] (1974-1981).[11]

Many of his novels have themes and titles that invoke classical music, such as the three books making up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: The Thieving Magpie (after Rossini's opera), Bird as Prophet (after a piano piece by Robert Schumann usually known in English as The Prophet Bird), and The Bird-Catcher (a character in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute). Some of his novels take their titles from songs: Dance, Dance, Dance (after The Dells' song, although it is widely thought it was titled after the Beach Boys tune), Norwegian Wood (after The Beatles' song) and South of the Border, West of the Sun (the first part being the title of a song by Nat King Cole).[12]His most recent novel, 1Q84, honors writer icon George Orwell.

Murakami is a keen marathon runner and triathlete, although he did not start running until he was 33 years old. On June 23, 1996, he completed his first ultramarathon, a 100-kilometer race around Lake Saroma in Hokkaido, Japan.[13] He discusses his relationship with running in his 2008 work What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.[14]

• Category

  Music

[samhimpon]

Whats the title of the song at 13:30? Thanks in advance!

[ProjectDystopia]

Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto

[samhimpon]

Thank you very much for the fast reply :)

[ProjectDystopia]

you're welcome....any time

[Reticence9]

Thanks for the information: I was just now searching Japanese doo-wop acts with little success lol for that song.

[ProjectDystopia]

just put this into youtube search "Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto" ...that's all you have to do

[ProjectDystopia]

you're welcome :)

[Scruffy P]

Murakami is fast become my hero :)

[KiyoshiAnims]

Yes it was, I just watched that movie and I noticed it used several times

[LucioDeacon]

can you add subtitles?

[Biplab Bastola]

If there is some world...least bit related to surrealism..then I am sure, Haruki Murakami and David Lynch will be the kings there. Love you!!

[Itzel Morales]

I havea similar story, last year saw his books in several libraries, spent almost a year finding them till I decided to figure out what was all the fuzz about... bought After dark, then Norwegian wood and I can't stop now. Today I finished Kafka on the shore, i'm amazed, feel that my brain exploted... maybe I will read it again to understand it better. Hope you get one of his books and enjoy it. Cheers!!

[alayisthenewhipster]

What I can say is if you have read those all books of Murakami, then this documentary is very helpful and surely is interesting also fun. The fact that most Murakami's books are bit depressing yet humorous are well depicted here. So if there's one of you hasn't read Murakami's book, then this time will be the best time to start. Thanks for the doc. Shout-out from one of Murakami's fan here in Indonesia. And last but not least about Indonesia, have yourself read Indonesian books by Pramoedya.

[Dario Wirtha]

I haven't read his books. I've just always been curious about his works cuz I kept seeing his books at Barnes and Nobles, and one title intrigued me. I thought that Kafka on the Shore had something to do with Franz Kafka. It turns out Kafka is a character. I am gonna borrow a book of his from the Library

[mdcory3470]

Postmodernism is banal.

[KiyoshiAnims]

My parents got me 'after the quake' for my birthday, and ive never stopped reading his books after that!