Japanese author Haruki Murakami releases first novel in 3 years
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For the first time in his career, Japanese author Haruki Murakami in The Tale Of Kaho has a woman as the lone protagonist of a novel.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Haruki Murakami released his first full-length novel in three years, titled "The Tale of Kaho," featuring a 26-year-old female picture book author as the protagonist.
- The novel is a compilation and reimagining of Murakami's four-part "Kaho" series published from June 2024 to March 2026.
- Murakami described writing the novel as enjoyable and noted the story flowed smoothly without contradictions, reflecting his unique storytelling style.
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TOKYO – Internationally renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami on July 3 released The Tale Of Kaho, his first full-length novel in three years.
The novel, about a 26-year-old author of picture books named Kaho, is the first time Murakami has depicted a woman as the lone protagonist of a novel, the publisher Shinchosha said.
The first print run will total 250,000 copies, with a simultaneous release of an e-book edition, it added.
The novel compiles and reimagines his four-part Kaho series, which was published in the literary magazine Shincho from June 2024 to March 2026.
Murakami told Kyodo News in an interview that the novel “was so much fun to write”, akin to the process of assembling short stories.
“When I finished the previous part, after a while I’d think I might be able to write the next part, and I’d connect them loosely, then make a few touches at the end. Strangely, there weren’t many contradictions, and the plot didn’t go off in a weird direction,” he said.
Murakami was born in Kyoto in 1949. He has received numerous literary awards in Japan and abroad, including the Franz Kafka Prize, and is also an accomplished translator, particularly of American literature.
His works include the best-selling novels Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and 1Q84.
The Tale Of Kaho is his first full-length work since The City And Its Uncertain Walls, published in 2023. KYODO NEWS
