Here are 10 of Murakami's more popular stories, helping to serve as an introduction to this unique and mysterious talent: Shortly after graduating college, Murakami and his wife ran a tiny jazz bar for several years, which would serve to inspire the setting for some of his stories.ĭespite being a Japanese writer, his works have garnered appeal over the world and are not tied to any specific culture, place or time. “Hear the Wind Sing” won the Gunzou Literature Prize for budding writers, setting Murakami onward to his rather strange course to success. His first books have come to be known as the “Trilogy of the Rat” and are composed of the novels “Hear the Wind Sing” (1979), “Pinball, 1973” (1980) and “A Wild Sheep Chase” (1982). That night, he began writing and never stopped. It was the moment American player Dave Hilton stepped in and hit a double when Murakami instantly felt driven to write his first novel. It was in 1978 when, according to a frequently-repeated personal story, Murakami was hit with his first bout of inspiration while watching a baseball game between the Yakult Swallows and the Hiroshima Carp. Growing up in Kobe, he moved to Tokyo for his education, where he studied at Waseda University. Murakami was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1949 as part of the post-WWII “baby boomer” generation.

CAIRO – 12 January 2018: January 12 marks the birthday of acclaimed Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, renowned for his atmospheric and absurd stories.

Sumire haruki murakami