#literacture

JOMP Book Photo Challenge: Day 28 - Frosty Window

The Cultist's Meditation

Personally, I think Haruki Murakami himself is cool, but "Fashion Haruki Murakami" (people who try to imitate his style) is often seen as cringeworthy.

Haruki Murakami himself isn't someone who tries too hard to be cool; rather, he has fleeting moments of coolness that emerge naturally. So, focusing solely on appearing cool ends up looking like an awkward act.

I Injured My Leg

Recently, I injured my leg and felt down, so I ended up reading a lot of Haruki Murakami essays—works I had read before. After finishing one:

🙂 I want to read more!

...and I kept purchasing more essays.

Since I was reading his essays, which often delve into daily life, I learned a lot about Haruki Murakami's routines.

As I took notes and thought about things like running after my leg healed, I ended up creating a checklist that makes it seem like I could become Haruki Murakami if I followed it.

Disclaimer

As you can probably guess, completing this checklist doesn't mean you can actually become Haruki Murakami. There's only one Haruki Murakami, and his history is uniquely his own.

So please understand that the "How to Become Haruki Murakami" checklist in this article is conceptual, like "how to become Superman" or "how to become the most beautiful person in the world." 🙃

Checklist for Becoming Haruki Murakami

Here is the Haruki Murakami checklist. Score 5 points for each item. Sources are indicated in parentheses.

・Routine

1. Run 10 kilometers almost every day ('Murakami Radio 2')

2. Eat a large amount of salad daily (about the size of a washbasin) ('Murakami Radio 3')

3. Go to bed early and wake up early ('How to Find the Spinning Cat')

4. Read a lot of books (estimated: about one every two days) ('The Return of Murakami Asahido')

5. Watch a lot of movies (estimated: about one every two days) ('The Return of Murakami Asahido')

6. Listen to music for about two hours every day ('The Return of Murakami Asahido')

・Skills

7. Be able to cook (e.g., make croquettes) ('Murakami Radio 1')

8. Enjoy cross-country skiing ('Murakami Radio 1')

9. Drive a manual transmission car ('Murakami Radio 2')

・Experience

10. Frequently visit factories ('The Land of the Rising Factories')

11. Spend six months to a year as a stay-at-home spouse ('The Return of Murakami Asahido')

12. Have run a full marathon ('What I Talk About When I Talk About Running')

13. Have run an ultramarathon ('What I Talk About When I Talk About Running')

14. Listen to "Your Precious Love" ('Murakami Radio 1')

Your Precious Love (Mono Version)

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

R&B/Soul

¥255

  provided courtesy of iTunes

15. Have lived in more than two countries ('Distant Drums', 'Eventually the Saddest Foreign Language')

16. Have moved houses many times ('Murakami Asahido')

17. Have traveled extensively ('Rain or Shine', etc.)

18. Have done translation work ('Murakami Radio 3')

19. Have owned a pet ('The Return of Murakami Asahido')

20. Watched the Olympics live ('Sydney!')

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid.