13/09/2026
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Haruki Murakami was born in 1949 in Kyoto, Japan. He grew up surrounded by literature and music, but never imagined that he would become one of the world's most famous novelists. After university, he opened a small jazz bar in Tokyo with his wife and spent years running the business.
The moment that changed his life came in 1978 while watching a baseball game. When he saw a player hit a double, Murakami suddenly had the thought that he could write a novel. He had never written fiction before, but that evening he bought writing supplies and began. His first novel was published the following year. He eventually realised that if he wanted to become a serious writer, he would have to change his entire life.
One of the hardest lessons Murakami learned was that meaningful work requires a willingness to live differently. He gave up the jazz bar and devoted himself to writing. He also developed a strict routine, writing in the morning and running or swimming later in the day. His success did not come from waiting for inspiration. It came from repeating the work for years.
One of his most famous lines captures this philosophy: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
Murakami's life reminds us that sometimes a new life begins with a very small decision. You may not know where it will lead. You simply recognise something you want to do, begin, and then build your life around it.
