Japanese Studies | 2025 | Chapter Standing with the Egg. Murakami Haruki's Two-World Literature. Rebecca Suter in: Routledge Handbook of Modern Japanese Literature Editor: Rachael Hutchinson, Leith Douglas Morton visibility 34 | Chapter | Published Share: https://arx.onl/p/17589599632875 Download (0.338 MB) This chapter explores the position of Murakami Haruki (b.1949) as a bunjin (person of letters) through the lens of ‘two-world literature,’ a conceptual framework that challenges traditional approaches to national and transnational literature. Examining Murakami's complex relationship with the Japanese literary establishment (bundan), the chapter argues that his work transcends conventional boundaries of Japanese and world literature by creating narrative spaces that simultaneously exist within and beyond cultural constraints. The analysis focuses on three key aspects of Murakami's literary practice: his own position across cultures, his use of supernatural narrative elements, particularly the parallel reality he calls achiragawa or mukōgawa, and his distinctive approach to social and political engagement. By exploring non-fiction works such as his ‘Walls and Eggs’ speech alongside novels and short stories, the chapter demonstrates how Murakami engages with social issues through a poetic, metaphorical approach that acts as a corrective against the polarization and divisiveness that often characterizes media discourse. ■ Last modified: 2025-10-17 05:34:30
Standing with the Egg. Murakami Haruki's Two-World Literature. Rebecca Suter in: Routledge Handbook of Modern Japanese Literature Editor: Rachael Hutchinson, Leith Douglas Morton visibility 34 | Chapter | Published Share: https://arx.onl/p/17589599632875