Cross-Cultural Analysis of Japanese Culture Through Norwegian Wood

This report provides a critical analysis of Japanese culture as influenced by Western culture, specifically through Haruki Murakami's novel, 'Norwegian Wood'. It explores the cross-cultural experiences and interactions depicted in the book, examining instances where Western elements clash or blend with traditional Japanese customs. The analysis delves into how Murakami's work reflects globalization and cross-cultural communication, using quotes and examples from the novel to illustrate these points. The report also considers the perspectives of various scholars and critics on the book's portrayal of Japanese society and the influence of Western civilization, including the impact of language, music, and other cultural aspects. Furthermore, it discusses the role of the novel in bridging cultural gaps and its contribution to cross-cultural understanding, highlighting the characters, themes, and literary devices that contribute to this dynamic.

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CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS ON JAPANESE CULTURE
Name
Book Report
Date

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CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS ON JAPANESE CULTURE
Cross-cultural experiences among various groups of people including countries play a
significant role in making the world a global village. Cross-cultural encounters are significantly
taking shape across the world and at a fast rate than ever before. The purpose of this paper is to
critically analyze the Japanese culture as it is influenced by the western culture through the
perspective of Haruki Murakami in his book Norwegian Wood. Further, this report will conduct
an analysis of cross-cultural interactions with respect to examples as they appear in his book by
use of quotes. Murakami’s book presents several cultural aspects which are inconsistent with
Japanese culture. His book contains words that are written in western languages which present a
good platform for analyzing his works based on cross-cultural communication and the influence
of globalization. Additionally, the report examines how cross-cultural influence plays a
significant role in composing his book. According to Karatani, it is Murakami perspective that
brings an understanding of Japanese culture through various critics if different background
across the world.1
Oshima argues that the Japanese society is known for its deep-rooted culture that
occasionally blends with the western culture. Western civilization in Japan began when a policy
was drafted during the Meiji era.2 This was a time when Japan considered the western
approaches were important to their culture for them to be able to compete with the rest of the
world. Some of this methods and accomplishments were related to science, culture and
technology. The Japanese culture continues to play a significant part in fostering cross-cultural
communication. Murakami’s work offers an opportunity for engagement between western
culture and that of the Japanese people.
Among other writers of his age, Murakami remains the most prolific writer whose works
have made an important role in linking cross-cultural boundaries for the modern society. Across
1 Karatani, K. (1998). Origins of modern Japanese literature. London: Duke University Press.
2 Oshima, K. (2005). Gairaigo usage in Japan: From cultural controversy to a new analytical
framework. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

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the world, Murakami has received immense recognition from readers and scholars of different
backgrounds. Most readers and scholars view Murakami’s literature in light of western influence.
"When her lessons ended, we'd have tea and chat. Sometimes I'd show her certain
jazz piano styles - like, this is Bud Powell, or this is Thelonious Monk” p 183.3
This statement in his book clearly indicates that jazz, which is not a type of music that
originated in Japan, had already taken center stage and influenced many people including
Murakami. Besides, some professional argue that Murakami consistently make references to
literature that has its origin in Euro-American culture. Such references made by Murakami are
crucial in examining the cross-cultural influence between western and Japanese culture since
Murakami approach in his work and individual style is based upon western culture as opposed to
Japanese culture based on Aoki sentiments.4
Apart from the influence of western culture especially from the United States of America,
there are other cultural aspects that have been expressed in Murakami’s works which come from
other countries. According to Bakhtin and the theory of intertextuality, these other examples are
concrete examples to show that indeed Murakami plays a significant role in linking cross-
cultural communication.5 Language mimics aspects that go on in the society which is rooted deep
in our culture. As a result, the Japanese culture borrows some expression from western culture.
Some scholars such as Proshina point out that Japanese culture contains aspects of its long
3 Omer, A. Norwegian Wood. Evocative, Entertaining, Sexy and Funny; But The Murakami is
one of the Best Writers Around. Time Out.
4 Aoki, T. (1996). Murakami Haruki and contemporary Japan. Richmond, Surrey, England:
Curzon Press.
5 Bakhtin, M. (1981). The dialogue imagination: Four essays. Austin, TX: University of Texas
Press.

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isolation although the Euro-American influence is quite distinct.6 It is important to factor
language as a means to communicate as well as recognition of a cultural code of a particular
region. Whenever people speak, it is always a reflection of the society which is ingrained in the
culture of people.
There is extensive linguistic and cultural examination that exists in Murakami’s fiction
the Norwegian Wood that shows traces of cross-cultural aspects of the Japanese culture. There
are consistent cross-cultural examples that can be found in Murakami’s dialogue with the
characters in his book. One particular instance is where Murakami paints the picture of
lesbianism through the following quote
"There there,' and she's got her arms around me and she's stroking my
back, and soon I'm starting to feel very strange, my whole body is kind of hot. I
mean, here's this picture-perfect beautiful girl and I'm on the bed with her, and
we're hugging, and her hands are caressing my back in this incredibly sensual way
that my own husband couldn't even begin to match, and I feel all the screws
coming loose in my body every time she touches me, and before I know it she has
my blouse and bra off and she's stroking my breasts. So that's when it finally hits
me that she's an absolute dyed-in-the-wool lesbian” p 186.7
Lesbianism for a long time is associated with the western culture. In this instance we find
that it is normal even in Japan indicating it began a while back when Reiko was in sixth-form.
Remember, this was a thirteen-year-old girl who was doing this to Reiko who was older than her
at the time. Hedgepeth mentions that Murakami can be said to have a notoriety of portraying his
character in a western perspective that then sparks conversation about the environment that plays
a critical role in cross-cultural communication.8 Critics of Murakami argue that the plot of his
6 Proshina, Z. G. (2001). The English language and East-Asian culture. Vladivostok, Russia: Far
Eastern National University.
7 Omer, A. Norwegian Wood. Evocative, Entertaining, Sexy and Funny; But The Murakami is
one of the Best Writers Around. Time Out.
8 Hedgepeth, M. (2001). Haruki Murakami and the new Japan. Ann Arbor, MI: University of
Michigan Press.

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book comes from the geographical context of other countries except for Japan. In Murakami’s
work, one will notice that most of the items mentioned in the book are not of Japanese origin.
Among these things that make Muramaki’s work a great contribution in cross-cultural
communication include music, cartoons, fine arts and philosophy according to Seats.9
These items play a significant role as a prerequisite to the source of information that
determines the geographical atmosphere of a particular group of people. Analyzing Murakami’s
work, the characters fall in communication with professionals of different background which
contributes to the society acknowledging and appreciating them in the society. Besides,
Murakami’s work of fiction reflects cross-cultural aspects through literary devices along with
English and other languages. Such are examples of cross-cultural communication of the
influence of Japanese culture by foreign cultures.
The characters in his book use English whenever they are referring to songs belonging to
other countries. The expression of something through using another language is a clear indication
that the native language is insufficient as it lacks proper words to explain certain items. Gottlieb
insinuates that the reason for using lexical units for purposes of expressing an idea is a result of
the concept being new to another culture. Also, by using a foreign word to express an idea is
with the aim of making the point clear and helps one to drive the exact point in question. Some
critics of Murakami’s work say that the fiction book is based on globalization rather than the
Japanese culture.10
The fact that the book was translated into English does not imply that the meaning in
what the original book has was altered in any way. The book does not mention the popular
culture of the 60s but extensive make references to the culture throughout the book. The use of
popular culture by Haruki Murakami is motivated by the need to bridge cross-cultural
communication across the world. The Norwegian Wood focuses on Toru, Naoko and Midori
9 Seats, M. (2006). Murakami Haruki: The simulacrum in contemporary Japanese culture.
Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
10 Gottlieb, N. (2005). Language and society in Japan. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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who has been struggling with adulthood. These characters are Japanese yet the story revolves
around foreign attributes with features of Japanese culture that paints the picture of a cross-
cultural communication that Murakami envisioned when writing the fiction book. Murakami’s
work is an authentic piece although people have condemned it as being more of western culture
rather than Japanese but Murakami’s view is completely that of Japanese people and the
characters used in the novel depict a story that can be told by most of the Japanese society. The
book does not whatsoever diminish the strong culture of the Japanese people but a blend of both
their culture and influence of western culture.11
The sharing of culture in Japanese increased after the Second World War and for this
reason Muramaki attempted to make the novel easy for all people to understand the cross-
cultural bridge. The extensive use of western culture in Murakami’s work does not make the
fiction book hegemonic. Despite critics, the fiction novel is written from a Japanese genre. This
can be attested through the characters and setting in the 60s where students were largely
influenced by the western culture. In this novel Haruki emphasizes on individualism through his
characters such as Toru which compliments that western values in an ideal manner.
It is important to note that while majority of the readers are reading the book based on the
interpreters understanding of the Novel, it remains to be the thoughts and writings of Haruki
Murakami. Strecher argues that even though some people might consider the translation to be a
different from the perspective of the original novel, one cannot fail to see the bridge between two
cultures that contributes to globalization.12 Norwegian Wood is a typical cross-cultural
illustration of authentic Japanese Culture. The translation of the novel actually brought ideal
culture of the Japanese society into light through conflicting ideas from supporters and critics of
Haruki Murakami at that time. Murakami’s work will continue to play a significant role in
bridging the gap between different cultures through authentic ideal of the Japanese society.
11 Kuryleva, Lyubov A., Boeva, Svetlana A. (2010) “Literary Texts by H. Murakami in Terms of
Murakami, Haruki. (2000) Norwegian Wood. Vintage Books.
12 Strecher, M. C. (2002). Dances with sheep. The quest for identity in the fiction of Murakami
Haruki. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

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Bibliography
Aoki, T. (1996). Murakami Haruki and contemporary Japan. Richmond, Surrey, England:
Curzon Press.
Bakhtin, M. (1981). The dialogue imagination: Four essays. Austin, TX: University of Texas
Press.

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Gottlieb, N. (2005). Language and society in Japan. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Hedgepeth, M. (2001). Haruki Murakami and the new Japan. Ann Arbor, MI: University of
Michigan Press.
Intercultural Communication”. Intercultural Communication Studies XIX: 3.
Karatani, K. (1998). Origins of modern Japanese literature. London: Duke University Press.
Kuryleva, Lyubov A., Boeva, Svetlana A. (2010) “Literary Texts by H. Murakami in Terms of
Murakami, Haruki. (2000) Norwegian Wood. Vintage Books.
Omer, A. Norwegian Wood. Evocative, Entertaining, Sexy and Funny; But The Murakami is one
of the Best Writers Around. Time Out.
Oshima, K. (2005). Gairaigo usage in Japan: From cultural controversy to a new analytical
framework. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Proshina, Z. G. (2001). The English language and East-Asian culture. Vladivostok, Russia: Far
Eastern National University.
Seats, M. (2006). Murakami Haruki: The simulacrum in contemporary Japanese culture.
Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
Strecher, M. C. (2002). Dances with sheep. The quest for identity in the fiction of Murakami
Haruki. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.