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| The Waseda International House of Literature, or The Haruki Murakami Library, is shown to the media on Sept. 22, 2021, at the university's campus in Tokyo ahead of the Oct. 1 opening of the facility. (Photo by= Kyodo) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] TOKYO: The Haruki Murakami Library will open at the Japanese author's alma mater Waseda University in Tokyo on Friday to house his personal archive, including handwritten manuscripts previously donated, Kyodo reported. During a recent interview with Kyodo News ahead of the opening of the library officially known as The Waseda International House of Literature, Murakami talked about how he envisions his works being passed on. "If you just put things there, people will only come once and never again. I wanted to make it a place that was more alive, and the ideas just grew from there," Murakami, 72, said.
The library, standing five stories high with a basement, was designed by 67-year-old Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Facilities include research spaces such as the library, areas for people to interact, and a studio equipped with sound equipment. "I don't have any children, so I wanted to prevent my resources and manuscripts from being lost after my death," Murakami said in explaining his reason for making the donation.
Hoping the library will become a center for international exchange in the field of Japanese literature research, he envisions reading sessions by authors and radio program recordings to also be held there.
