Plenty of acclaimed writers have close ties to the world of music. Even in this realm, though, Haruki Murakami has engaged deeply with music across the bulk of his body of work. That his bibliography includes a novel titled Norwegian Wood is one sign of his deep of music, as is the fact that he once owned a jazz club. Murakami has also incorporated real-life bars and clubs where he’s gone to see music into his books.
His fondness for music doesn’t end there, however. In 2018, Murakami announced that he would donate his massive collection of vinyl to Tokyo’s Waseda University. All of which begs the question: what’s it like to listen to Murakami’s record collection?
Recently, Far Out assembled a playlist featuring selections from Murakami’s array of vinyl. Given the size of Murakami’s collection, this is one you can listen to for a while; the 100 songs there include work by the likes of Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock and Hoagy Carmichael.
Murakami’s fondness for music has come up in his public person in other ways as well – including the fact that he hosts a radio show, where he’s addressed topics over the years including the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s yet another way for him to maintain a connection to an art form he clearly feels strongly about.
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