“Suicides? Heart attacks? The papers didn't seem interested. The world was full of ways to die, too many to cover. Newsworthy deaths had to be exceptional. Most people go unobserved.”

Japanese novelist and short story writer, 1949–present. His work blends surrealism with everyday life, exploring themes of isolation and the uncanny. Known for novels like *Norwegian Wood* and *Kafka on the Shore*, which have earned him global literary acclaim.