TOKYO. Esteemed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami recently hosted a captivating ghost story reading event in Tokyo, drawing significant attention as the anticipation for this year’s Nobel Prize in literature builds. Murakami, a perennial favorite for the prestigious award, expressed his fondness for eerie tales during Thursday’s reading and his desire to explore this genre further. The event featured a ghost story from the 18th-century collection “Tales of Moonlight and Rain,” a work that has long intrigued Murakami since his childhood and is believed to have played a pivotal role in inspiring his own literary creations.
The timeless collection, authored by Akinari Ueda and known as “Ugetsu Monogatari” in Japanese, delves into the enigmatic realm between reality and surrealism. In a guide he contributed to a magazine in 2021, Murakami revealed that Ueda’s stories had provoked him to contemplate which side of this blurred line he resided on.
Borders and walls are recurrent motifs in Murakami’s literary repertoire. His protagonists frequently navigate through physical and metaphorical walls, traversing between two worlds and encountering mysterious and exotic characters. Although Murakami has acknowledged his primary influence from Western literature during his formative years, experts have also noted the subtle echoes of Ueda’s narratives in some of his works.
Haruki Murakami has been a Nobel Prize in literature nominee for over a decade, and the laureate for the 2023 prize will be officially unveiled on October 5th. Should he emerge victorious, he would become the first Japanese writer to achieve this prestigious accolade since Kenzaburo Oe in 1994.
While Japanese media have previously mentioned novelists Yoko Ogawa and Yoko Tawada as potential contenders in recent years, international media have also speculated about Chinese fiction writer Can Xue and American novelist Thomas Pynchon making the list of potential laureates this year.
Curiously, the pending Nobel Prize was not a topic of discussion during Thursday’s ghost story event. Kayoko Shiraishi, a veteran actress known for her compelling monologues in the realm of ghost tales, performed Ueda’s “The Kibitsu Cauldron.” This particular narrative revolves around an imprudent man who marries a priest’s virtuous daughter despite a cauldron’s foretelling of a grim fate. The story unfolds with a vengeance as the protagonist meets a gruesome end after betraying his wife, who transforms into a vengeful spirit.
Murakami praised Shiraishi’s “chilling” portrayal of multiple roles and expressed his desire for her to attempt “The Mirror,” one of the short horror stories he penned back in 1983.
During the event, Murakami also addressed an issue close to his heart—the controversial redevelopment of Tokyo’s historic Jingu Gaien park area, which includes the conversion of Meiji Jingu Stadium, a place where he found inspiration to embark on his writing journey while watching a baseball game. Murakami, who had previously voiced opposition to the redevelopment in his radio show last month, reiterated his concerns at the reading event. He highlighted the removal of approximately 1,000 trees as part of the plan and noted that the area holds personal significance as it forms part of his running route and is the home stadium of his beloved team, the Yakult Swallows.
“Jingu Gaien is a very important place for me,” Murakami emphasized. “I will continue to raise my voice of opposition to this redevelopment, and any of you who agree with me, please support.” The audience responded with enthusiastic applause, indicating their solidarity with his stance.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
