Japanese contemporary culture

Well, as I did two post concerning my relation with Japanese contemporary culture, I must add two very important components: Shintaido, which recalls me of Murakami, through the feeble link of enlightening reality's nature by making you work on its fantastic part, and Miyazaki, who again, has this particular way of showing the unreal in the real. Yes, that's the link! I never got it so clear.

Kafka on the Shore

Reading Murakami's books for me is an involving experience; and he seems even to get better in time. Superficially, one may say that M. depicts a "dreamlike" world; but actually he depicts our everyday experience in very realistic terms: dreams, regrets, hopes, all "fictional", non naturalistic entities, texture our life. The most real parts of our lifes, are those that deeply involve us emotionally, and they may not have the tone of a naturalistic experience.

Murakami is also uniquely economical in his writings, nothing is ever too much.

Several stories into one, two intruguing main characters, a stimulating background... . A masterpiece.