Haruki Murakami's latest novel, "The Tale of KAHO," was released in Japan on Friday, with dozens of fans attending a midnight event at a Tokyo bookstore to be among the first to obtain copies.
The book marks a departure for the renowned Japanese author, as it features a lone female protagonist, Kaho, a picture book author. "Kaho, a picture book author, is just an average young woman. But truly bizarre things start happening around her," Murakami stated in a message on the publisher's campaign website. "I wrote this novel as I put myself in her shoes."
This narrative choice surprised many of Murakami's followers, as his previous protagonists have predominantly been male.
"I'm excited about finding out how the story evolves around a female character," said Naoyuki Yamano, who was the first customer to purchase the new novel.
The novel's origins trace back to a short story also titled "Kaho," which Murakami presented at a reading event at Waseda University two years prior. The story was later published in the June 2024 edition of Shincho magazine. Murakami has since released three additional "Kaho" stories in the magazine, most recently in March. These four narratives have been woven into the 352-page novel, divided into four chapters: "Kaho and the Motorcycle Man," "The Anteater of Musashi-sakai," "Kaho and the Termite Queen," and "The Guardian Angel, Elephant Egg and Scarlett Johansson."
According to the publisher Shinchosha Publishing Co., Kaho's story begins when she goes on a blind date arranged by her book editor. During the date, her companion makes a harsh comment about her appearance, prompting Kaho to investigate the remark's meaning. Subsequently, unusual events begin to occur around her.
"The Tale of KAHO" arrives three years after Murakami's previous novel, "The City and Its Uncertain Walls," which centered on a male protagonist exploring themes of love, loss, and the intersection of reality and the subconscious.