Library devoted to Japan novelist Murakami to open in Tokyo

Описание: (22 Sep 2021) LIBRARY DEVOTED TO JAPAN NOVELIST MURAKAMI TO OPEN IN TOKYO
A library featuring Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's works, scrapbooks and his collection of records were unveiled Wednesday (22 SEPTEMBER 2021) ahead of its opening on a university campus next week as a place of international literary research, a cultural exchange, and and a dream comes true for his fans.
The Haruki Murakami Library, which opens on Oct. 1 at his alma mater Waseda University, also houses a replica of his study with simple desk, big bookshelves and a record player, as well as a cafe that serves his favorite dark roast coffee and a radio studio.
"I hope this (library) will be a new hub of cultural dissemination," said camera-shy Murakami, 72, speaking at an off-camera news conference Wednesday ahead of the library launch. "I hope this will be a place where students can freely exchange and materialize ideas - a free, unique and fresh spot on a university campus."
After going through the entrance decorated with a wavy wooden tunnel roof, visitors will see a library space under an arched wooden tunnel, a design by architect Kengo Kuma. As a big Murakami fan himself, Kuma said tunnels are his image of Murakami's stories, in which protagonists often travel between the real and the surreal.
The library so far houses about 3,000 books and other materials, including translation in dozens of languages, as well as part of his massive collection of records. At a lounge above the library floor, there is an audio room where his records, some on wall display, and a few sitting on a counter carries stamp of "Petercat," the name of a Jazz bar he used to ran while writing novels.
"I'd rather have a place like this after my death, so I could just rest in peace and have someone take care of it ... I feel a bit nervous seeing this when I'm still alive," Murakami joked. Murakami said he will contribute as much as possible to the library, which initially focus on his works but he hoped to expand it to include works of other novelists "so it becomes a wide-ranged and fluid research space."
Murakami began writing while running a jazz bar in Tokyo after graduating from university. Following his 1979 debut novel "Hear the Wind Sing," the 1987 romance "Norwegian Wood" became his first bestseller, establishing him as a young literary star. He is also known for bestsellers such as "A Wild Sheep Chase," "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle," and "1Q84."
Murakami, an avid collector and listener of music in wide range of genre from classic to jazz and rock. Music serves as an important motif in Murakami's stories. An avid listener and collector of music, he has also written books on the topic and has a library of records in his study.
Beginning the summer of 2018, Murakami has also hosted his "Murakami Radio" show on Tokyo FM, on which he DJs, plays his favorite music and sometimes take requests and questions from listeners.
The archive project emerged in 2018 when Murakami offered to donate his collection of materials, which has grown so much over the past 40 years that he was running out of storage space at his home and office.

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