<和文論考>『ねじまき鳥クロニクル』における日本への旋回 --交差する戦争と神秘体験--

Abstract

Haruki Murakami wrote The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle in the United States during the Gulf War. The author claims to have become more interested in Japan after his stay in the United States. This paper analyzes the novel in the context of Murakami's experience in the United States. In this novel, Lieutenant Mamiya talks to Toru Okada, who lives in modern Tokyo, about his supernatural experience during World War II. Mamiya is able to sense supernatural objects but cannot clearly identify them because he is unable to extricate himself from a soldier's mentality. On the other hand, Toru is able to do what Mamiya could not do--use supernatural powers to fatally wound Noboru Wataya. This story reveals how the presence of the supernatural in today's Japanese society prevents a return to pre-war times and attempts to show connections with supernatural power across Asia.