The Significance ofTranslating forMurakami Haruki

December 16

The Significance of Translating for Murakami Haruki

Introduction
Murakami Haruki is one of the most famous writers in Japan. After he published hismaiden work “Kazenoutaokike”, his popularity has been continuing to grow. His
most popular work “Norwegian wood” sold more than ten million copies and became
bestseller novel in Japan. Most of his works are translated into many languages and readby people all over the world. Above all, people in the US show the biggest
preference for Murakami’s work. It is said that Murakami is a Japanese writer who ismore probable to get a Nobel prize than any other Japanese writer. However, hisachievement was not only his own novels but also his translation of foreign literature. I
will explain the significance of translating for him in this paper.

Background of Murakami
Murakami entered the first literature course of Waseda university and studied inmovie drama department. He wanted to have a job related to movies, but at that time,
the Japanese movie industry was really in a slump1, so he had no chance to work inmovie industry. Nevertheless, he liked jazz, too, so, he opened a jazz café “Peter Cat”.

1Seven years later, he decided to be a novelist and started to write while he was working
at the café. The interesting point of his background is he did not receive any writing
education in school. He said he learned the basis of writing by translating foreign
literature.
Another important thing is I had neither a mentor of writing nor
friends who like literature in my life so far. So, I had to learn howto write a novel, and make my own style from almost nothing butmyself. As a result, to translate good text became my “writingtraining”, in other word, translating was my “writing pilgrimage1”.
In sequel of this passage, he also said his novels would have been much different if hehadn’t found translating. He started to translate English books into Japanese as a hobby
in senior high school. Although he didn’t like English class at school, he loved translating
foreign literature especially F Scott Fitzgerald and Raymond Carver. Although moststudents in his high school were not interested in foreign literature, Murakami liked doing
something many people didn’t do. Translating is one of the best memories of hisadolescence2. And furthermore, “writing pilgrimage” is an important word to understand
Murakami Haruki. Murakami Haruki honyaku hotondo zen shigoto, chuoukouronsinsha,
2017, 8-9.
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Murakami Haruki. Murakami Haruki honyaku hotondo zen shigot. chuoukouronsinsha,

2017, 8-9.
2Murakami more deeply. Pilgrimage has been used as a main plot of his novel many times.
For example, in “Shikisaiomotanaitazakitukurutosonojunreinotoshi”, Tazaki Tsukuru
who is a main character of this book set off on his journey to meet his friends in seniorhigh school one by one after he got old. He once considered himself as “colorless” whichmeans nothing special, but in his pilgrimage, he found he played an essential role withina group of friends and decided to live life in his own way. In “Umibenokahuka”, themain character overcame a trauma of his father after a runaway from home by meeting
many people living with their own existential angsts. Murakami’s characters grow up
from pilgrimage. So, pilgrimage is a symbol of growing. He considers his translation as“writing pilgrimage”. It means he considers translation as growing. He improved his
writing skill through translating like painters learn how to paint by copying others’works. And he got old while translating. What foreign literature influenced is not only hisnovel but also his philosophy and attitude. He got his own points of view from foreign
literature. It makes his novels unique.

The Great Gatsby3

In this section, I will refer to one translation that particularly influenced
Murakami. He started publishing his translations in 1981, two years after his Debut, andstill continues today. The number of his translation is more than 60, but “The Great Gatsby”
is very special one among them. The first book he translated is Scott Fitzgerald’s “MyLost City”. Murakami said Scott Fitzgerald acted as an incentive to start translating3.
Especially “The Great Gatsby” was his favorite. This book is often referred in his novel.
He wanted to know what I was reading and I told him Gatsby.
Interesting? He asked. Interesting enough for me to read it threetimes through and still feel tingles. “Any guy who reads The Great
Gatsby three times through has gotta be okay with me,” he said,
From “Norwegian Wood” translated by Alfred Birnbaum4
Murakami’s typical characters are the person who loved foreign literature and music. I
think Murakami reflects himself in his characters. And most of his characters graduatedin private prestigious universities. In my perspective, it is related to the fact that
Murakami graduated Waseda university. It is easier to imagine the life which is similar toMurakami’s one than the life which is totally different from his. That’s why Murakami’s

3

Murakami Haruki and Motoyuki Shibata. honyakuyawa, bunshunshinsho, 1996, 56-57

4

Murakami Haruki. Norwegian Wood translated by Alfred Birnbaum, Kodansha
English Library, 1990, 59
4characters are real and vivid. Besides, his novels contain the characteristic of some foreign
writer. For instance, in “The Great Gatsby”, the storyteller is a neighbor of Gatsby, whois the most important character, and he describes what happened to Gatsby objectively.
This style is seen in Murakami’s “Spútonikunokoibito” the storyteller “I” describes
what happened to “Sumire” who is the most important character objectively, too. I think“The Sputnik’s Sweetheart” is influenced by “The Great Gatsby” a lot. Sumire fell in lovewith woman even though Sumire is a girl. Gatsby fell in love with woman who alreadymarried. These stories are both about love than can’t come true. However, in most of
Murakami’s novels, the storyteller and the most important character are same. Probably
the objective writing style didn’t fit in with him. He tried to imitate writing style of “TheGreat Gatsby” in “The Sputnik’s Sweetheart” and didn’t feel successful.

The Catcher in The Rye
In my opinion, Murakami’s translation of “The Catcher in The Rye” is a good
example to understand Murakami’s attitude toward translating. Murakami puts many
annotations in his translation of this novel. These annotations are really informative andhelpful to find hidden intention of the author. The most interesting one is in the scene thatHolden, which is the main character found a notebook of his sister, Phoebe. Holden5always says Phoebe is so smart and especially good at spelling in his monologue.
However, Murakami’s annotation pointed out some spelling mistakes in her notebook.
Why has south eastern Alaska so many caning factories?
Because there’s so much salmon.
Why has it valuable forests? because it has the right climate.
What has our government done to make life easier for the Alaskan eskimos?
Look it up for tomorrow!
Phoebe Weatherfield CaulfieldPhoebe Weatherfield CaulfieldPhoebe Weatherfield CaulfieldPhoebe Weatherfield CaulfieldPhoebe W. CaulfieldPhoebe Weatherfield Caulfield, Esq.

Please pass to Shirley!!!!
Shirley you said you were Sagitarius
From “The Catcher in The Rye”5“Caning” should be “canning”, and “Sagitarius” should be “Sagittarius”. At first, I
thought they were just typos. Nonetheless, Murakami asserts the author wrote thesemisspellings intentionally. These misspelling shows the Holden’s explanation about
Phoebe contains lies. Holden lies so often in this novel, but unconsciously readers tend
to think his lies are only in dialogue, and the information in his monologue is true.

5Salinger.J.D The Catcher in The Rye Kodansha English Library, 1991, 246-247.
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Murakami thinks these misspellings are the author’s message that warns readers to bedubious about all the information in this novel6. I couldn’t find this message before I
read Murakami’s translation. Murakami always tries to translate not only text but also
writer’s intention. For Japanese reader, it is too hard to understand whole device andbackground of foreign literature. So, Murakami adds many annotations and extra
information about novels in his translations to help readers. For example, he put anessay about the life of Scott Fitzgerald in his translation of “The Great Gatsby”. As helikes foreign literature very much, he wants readers to understand all attractiveness of it.
He has a quite diligent attitude toward translation. He doesn’t spare any efforts to makehis translation as good as possible. For instance, he sometimes rewrites his translations.
He published translations of same novel after he found parts that can be made better. He
rewrote a translation of one Raymond Carver’s novel three times8. Of course, it costs a
lot of efforts and money to both publishing company and himself, but the profit isnegligible. However, Murakami has never compromised about his translations. That's hisdiligent attitude.

6

Murakami, Haruki and Motoyuki Shibata. Salinger senki, bunshunsinsho, 2003,57-59
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Conclusion
In this paper, I considered the significance of translating for Murakami Haruki.
Although Murakami lacks experience of academic education of writing, translatinghelped him to find his own style. Due to translating, his style is much affected by foreign
literature. Especially the influence of F. Scott Fitzgerald is conspicuous. He does not use
only one style in his novel. He sometimes tries to imitate foreign writer’s writing style.
This trial does not always succeed. But after innumerable trial and errors, his own stylebecame strong and sophisticated. Nevertheless, Murakami does not continue translating
just for improving his novel. He simply likes foreign literature and translating since hewas young. That’s why he can be so diligent in translating. In my opinion, translating islike linking bridge with the world of writer for Murakami. Before he started translating,he was just a reader who just enjoy reading literature. By translating, he fully immersed
himself in the writing experience. And thus, deepened and developed his understandingof the craft. Without translating, Murakami Haruki as a writer would not exist. That’s
how significant translating is for Murakami.

8Works Cited<Primary sources>
Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby translated by Murakami Haruki, chuoukouronshinsha,2011.
Murakami Haruki. Norwegian Wood translated by Alfred Birnbaum, Kodansha EnglishLibrary, 1990.
Murakami Haruki. Shikisaiomotanaitazakitukurutosonojunreinotoshi, Bungeishunjuu,2013.
Murakami Haruki. Spútonikunokoibito, Koudansha, 2001.
Murakami Haruki. UmibenoKafka, shinchousha, 2002.
Salinger. J.D. The Catcher in The Rye Kodansha English Library, 1991.
<Secondary sources>
Murakami Haruki. Murakami Haruki honyaku hotondo zen shigoto
tyuokouronnsinnsya, 2017.
Murakami, Haruki and Motoyuki Shibata. honyakuyawa, bunshunshinsho
Novemmber, 1996.
Murakami, Haruki and Motoyuki Shibata. Salinger senki, bunshunshinsho, 2003.

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