By KENSUKE NONAMI/ Staff Writer
March 20, 2022 at 13:30 JST
Author Haruki Murakami (Kan Kashiwazaki)
Acclaimed novelist Haruki Murakami hosted a special radio show by playing a selection of his favorite antiwar songs to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 73-year-old author of “Kafka On the Shore,” “1Q84,” “Norwegian Wood” and a host of other bestsellers went on air late March 18 with his “Music to halt the war” show.
Among the 11 pieces he played were a live version of Edwin Starr’s “War” sung by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” covered by Stevie Wonder and Jack Johnson singing John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
Murakami translated the lyrics of each song and explained the historical backdrop when those pieces were performed. The show was aired by Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co.
At the end of the program, the author cautioned listeners against the perils of getting disenchanted with democracy and gravitating toward an authoritarian system simply because it seems to be more efficient.
He quoted Black rights leader Martin Luther King’s famous remark, “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
“More people are getting disenchanted with parliamentary democracy in recent years as it does not seem to be working very well,” he said. “As a result, they are becoming attracted to an authoritarian system where the power is centralized. It may look efficient, but it could result in a horrific situation once things went wrong. You should be very careful.”
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