Haruki Murakami's Newest Novel Is Selling Like Hotcakes In Japan

Haruki Murakami has been a bestseller in Japan for years, ever since the publication of the 1987 novel Norwegian Wood made him a household name in Japan. Murakami’s first novel in three years went on sale Friday and fans have already been flocking to pick up the title, despite knowing little about the book ahead of purchasing it.

Murakami’s new book is titled Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of His Pilgrimage. According to the Associated Press, in the time leading up to the publication of the novel, the book’s publisher, Bungeishunju, stayed mum about the details of the novel. In order to do this, the company created a website to advertise for the new book that offerred little but the book's title. Purchasers are now saying the book is dark and follows a person concerned with death in its first pages.

Half a million copies of Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of His Pilgrimage have been printed for the book’s first run and copies are already selling like hotcakes, much like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Fifty Shades of Grey did elsewhere throughout the world. For now, the book is only available in Japanese. However, if Murakami’s other titles, including 1Q84, Sputnik Sweetheart, and Kafka on the Shore are any indication, fans may be getting the lengthy title in English, fairly soon. You can visit the author’s English-language website over at Random House and we’ll keep you updated if Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of His Pilgrimage gets an English-language release.