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The story
On the 8th, the Swedish Academy announced that Canadian poet Anne Carson would receive the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature. Haruki Murakami, who had drawn high expectations after publishing his first novel in three years, “Kaho: The Tale of KAHO,” missed out on the prize once again this year. On the 5ch “Geinou/Sports News+” thread, comments mixed amusement at the annual autumn gathering of “Harukists” (Murakami fans), debate over how to rate Murakami’s work, and wry remarks noting that an actual win would put an end to the yearly tradition.
On the 8th, the Swedish Academy announced the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarding it to Canadian poet Anne Carson. Haruki Murakami, who is perennially named among the frontrunners, published his first novel in three years, “Kaho: The Tale of KAHO” (Shinchosha), this year, raising hopes — but he missed out on the prize yet again.
Murakami, one of Japan’s leading authors, is known for works such as “Norwegian Wood” and “Kafka on the Shore,” and has been translated in more than 50 countries. Since winning the Franz Kafka Prize in 2006, he has consistently ranked among the top contenders for the Nobel according to bookmakers. Among Japanese writers, the prize has previously gone to Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburo Oe, and in 2017 it was awarded to Nagasaki-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
If they announced the Literature Prize first, it might generate more buzz, but since the science prizes usually come out beforehand, this one honestly feels like an afterthought by comparison.
None of the film adaptations of his work have been award-caliber knockouts.
In the West there's a 'past his prime' vibe around him, like Ryuichi Sakamoto, with no sign of a re-evaluation.
British bookmakers: 'Keep betting next year too, Japan lol'
Though his name means 'spring' (Haru),
we gather again every autumn (aki) —
never growing tired of it (a pun on 'aki,' which also means 'to grow weary of something').
Who knows when it'll ever be a Japanese writer's turn lol
Maybe another 20 years or so.
Kawabata, Oe… should we throw Kazuo Ishiguro in there too?
at next autumn's Harukist festival.
Sounds like he made it to the final shortlist this time.
Close, but no cigar, I'd say.
This year's judging records won't be made public until 2076.
When Kenzaburo Oe won, bookstores set up special display corners, and I remember as a kid some random old guy standing in front of one shouting 'You're not gonna read it anyway!' before getting kicked out by staff — total childhood trauma.
I look forward to this every year,
and I totally forgot about it this time.
It's a product of its era.
During the bubble economy everyone was forcing themselves to be party animals and were exhausted by it.
Why would anyone think he could win a Nobel?
Ohtani's got better odds at this point.
Background and Key Points
Among Japanese writers, the Nobel Prize in Literature has gone to Yasunari Kawabata in 1968 and Kenzaburo Oe in 1994, while in 2017 it was awarded to Nagasaki-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro. Since winning the Franz Kafka Prize in 2006, Haruki Murakami has repeatedly been named a frontrunner in overseas bookmakers’ odds, yet he has never actually taken home the prize. Opinions on the thread split between those genuinely disappointed he missed out again, and those who joked it’s actually better this way, since it lets the annual tradition of “Harukists” gathering at cafes every autumn keep going. Views on Murakami’s own work were likewise divided, with some questioning his international reputation and literary merit and others defending it. One point worth noting: the Nobel committee’s deliberation records are sealed for 50 years, and there’s been no official word on who did or didn’t make the final shortlist — a detail that’s easy to get wrong.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Breaking] Haruki Murakami Fails to Win Nobel Prize in Literature Again This Year [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”
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