Murakami’s interview in the newspaper

An interview with Haruki Murakami was published in today’s Mainichi Shimbun evening edition.

In talking about his book ‘More, My Good Old Classical Records‘, published at the end of last year, he expressed his love for records in Murakami-esque way.

“I like records because I can see the process. There are physical grooves, aren’t there? The needle goes around and makes a sound. When I stare at it, it’s somewhat innocently adorable”

Mainichi Shimbun Evening Edition, 16 Jan, 2023

Last December, NHK news reported that, upon tightening public control of ‘non-traditional sexual relations’ in Russia, 53 works from all over the world, including Haruki Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart, had been ordered to be removed from libraries in Moscow.

Moscow libraries told to ‘delete’ novel by Murakami Haruki | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Regarding the removal of some literary works from libraries in Russia due to ‘non-traditional’ sexual orientation features, Murakami stated that he was not surprised as such exclusions had happened all over the world, and stated that “political systems can collapse, but artworks can survive if it has the power”.

And he said he was looking forward to his residency at Wellesley College from late January to May.

In his recent work, he concluded by saying that he had almost finished translating Capote’s “Other Voices, Other Rooms”, but that his own new novel was a “secret”.