Welcome to the Tenth Annual How to Japanese Murakami Fest! With the goal of stirring up even more interest in Murakami between now and October, when the Nobel Prizes are announced, I will post a small piece of Murakami translation/analysis/revelation … Continue reading
Our look at the bestselling enka songs continues. いよいよトップテン！ Previous posts: 50-41 40-31 30-21 20-11 Today, we look at the Top Ten bestselling enka songs OF ALL TIME. Thanks for reading this far if you’ve been here all week! 10. … Continue reading
Our look at the bestselling enka songs continues. Previous posts: 50-41 40-31 Today, we look at 30-21: 30. 圭子の夢は夜ひらく (Keiko no yume wa yoru hiraku, Keiko’s Dreams Blossom at Night), 藤 圭子 (Fuji Keiko), 1970 PERMASEARCH Quick Take: This is … Continue reading
Our look at the bestselling enka songs continues. Previous posts: 50-41 Today, we look at 40-31: 40. 帰ってこいよ (Kaette koi yo, Come home), 松村和子 (Matsumura Kazuko), 1980 PERMASEARCH Quick Take: This is a take on a hometown song. Someone is … Continue reading
I’m in the Japan Times today with one of my favorite Bilingual articles in a long time: “Enka gives lessons in Japan’s unattainable love.” I don’t remember the first time I learned the word 演歌 (enka), but it was likely … Continue reading
Well, it took me six months, but I’m back on the Murakami. Chapter 35 of Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World “Nail Clippers, Butter Sauce, Iron Vase” is one of my favorite chapters in the novel. I wrote … Continue reading
My review of the new Murakami novel Killing Commendatore (騎士団長殺し) is in the Japan Times this week: “‘Killing Commendatore’: Murakami’s latest lacks inspired touch of earlier works” In short, it was not very good. I’ll be very curious to see … Continue reading
I’m a little late to this game, but I’ve put together a playlist of all the music Haruki Murakami has had his characters listen to or refer to in his recent novel Kishidanchō goroshi (騎士団長殺し, Killing Commendatore). I’ll keep adding to … Continue reading
Kishidanchō-goroshi is out in Japan! A description of the book has appeared on the Amazon website. The description is the same for both volumes. I translated it on my Facebook page earlier today. Here it is again: その年の五月から翌年の初めにかけて、私は狭い谷間の入り口近くの、山の上に住んでいた。夏には谷の奥の方でひっきりなしに雨が降ったが、谷の外側はだいたい晴れていた……それは孤独で静謐な日々であるはずだった。騎士団長が顕(あらわ)れるまでは。 From May … Continue reading
明けましておめでとうございます！ Happy New Year! It’s the Year of the Rooster, which apparently is not as lucky for me (a Rooster) as I initially believed…it’s just my responsibility to throw the beans on Setsubun as a 年男. よろしくお願いします！ After an extended … Continue reading