'The Tale of Kaho': Murakami's new novel features female lead for first time

Acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami is set to publish a new novel this year, marking the first time a full-length work of his will feature a sole female protagonist, reports The Guardian.

Titled "The Tale of Kaho," the book will be released in Japan on 3 July, alongside a digital edition. An English-language UK release date has yet to be announced.

The 352-page novel centres on Kaho, a 26-year-old picture book author and is an expanded version of a four-part series originally published in the literary magazine Shincho between June 2024 and March 2026. An earlier instalment, translated by Philip Gabriel, appeared in The New Yorker in 2024.

The story begins with Kaho attending a blind date where she is confronted with an unusually harsh comment about her appearance, setting off a sequence of strange events around her.

Murakami, 77, has previously faced criticism over his portrayal of women, often accused of depicting them as one-dimensional. 

In a recent interview, he said writing from a woman's perspective felt unfamiliar but ultimately natural, adding that the novel carries a more optimistic tone than his earlier works.

While female characters have appeared prominently in his short stories and shared central roles in works such as "1Q84," this is the first time a single woman leads one of his novels.

Murakami's previous novel, "The City and Its Uncertain Walls," was published in 2024. 

Widely regarded as one of Japan's most influential contemporary writers, his works have been translated into dozens of languages and he is frequently cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in literature.