TOKYO • It is a chapter in famous Japanese author Haruki Murakami's life that few people are aware of.

He ran a jazz cafe when he was young and is very plugged into music.

The 69-year-old is also an avid runner who has completed many marathons, reported Japan Times.

Now he can blaze a new trail with both passions on a show called Murakami Radio - Run & Songs on Aug 5 on Tokyo FM, which has a network of 38 stations.

"It has been my hobby to collect records and CDs since my childhood and thanks to that, my house is inundated with such things.

"However, I have often felt a sense of guilt towards the world while listening to such amazing music and having a good time alone," Murakami said in a statement.

The 55-minute show is expected to run up good ratings because the writer - a perennial favourite for the Nobel Prize in literature - has never appeared on any Japanese TV or radio programme.

The show's producers are now inviting people to submit questions about music that Murakami can run through that day.