Kafka by the Shore
I am late to Murakami, and after reading Haruki Murakami’s Kafka by the Shore a spark of inquisition was generated. Murakami makes it impossible to ignore the cultural implications in his writing, so I looked for connections and wondered what fueled Murakami and his writing. What I found was remarkable. Understanding some of the nuances of Japanese culture helped me understand Murakami, his characters, and Japanese culture. Japanese culture is a deep and vast cavern of riches steeped in history, and its modern history is just as rich and intriguing. Today many Japanese people often go missing by choice. They leave behind all valuables and anything that could identify them. This widely-known phenomenon in Japanese communities is called Jouhatsu. Translated it means the “act of disappearing” a form of living suicide where the person seemingly evaporates never to be seen again. People who commit this act of disappearing surrender everything, every piece of themselves is left behind with the hope that they might be free to create a new life with no history or attachments. This cultural phenomenon is fueled by many factors. Murakami’s novel recognizes and addresses some of these factors through his characterizations. One character Kafka, is a fifteen-year-old runaway who goes unnoticed when he decides to run away from his emotionally detached father. Like the many who choose to disappear in Japan Kafka has no plan or direction, just a feeling that leads him into an unknown storm. Nakata is an elderly and disabled cat detective who has been forgotten, a leftover from another era who will win your heart immediately. Other characters like Hoshino, a compassionate truck driver, and Oshima, a competent helper and librarian would be welcomed by any lost or lonely person. Murakami’s characters seem to be connected by something rather than someone, all his characters separate themselves from the Japanese unification style that dominates most communities in Japan. Communities like this may often feel rigid and stifling to individuals who are naturally inclined to individualism and a need for personal creativity. This novel has its fantastical moments, there are cats who talk, portals to different dimensions, fist falls from the sky, and even Colonel Sanders. I love these parts because in the fantastical we can find an outlet and a place of that wishes and hopes to bring us together. Murakami is a master storyteller and Kafka By the Shore is a window into Japanese culture and its magical people.
Begin with Kafka by the Shore
