In all his books Murakami refers to Western music and other, especially from the American culture. Most often to music, I think.
And in some of his books, these references are important, a kind of keystone. For example his book 1Q84: this title is a reference to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. The letter Q and the Japanese number 9 are homophones (pronounced and spelled the same, but with a different meaning).
Murakami was born in Japan during the post–World War II baby boom. Although born in Kyoto, he spent his youth in Shukugawa (Nishinomiya), Ashiya and Kobe. His father was the son of a Buddhist priest, and his mother the daughter of an Osaka merchant. Both taught Japanese literature.
Since childhood, Murakami has been heavily influenced by Western culture, particularly Western music and literature. He grew up reading a wide range of works by American writers, such as Kurt Vonnegut, Richard Brautigan and Jack Kerouac . These Western influences distinguish Murakami from other Japanese writers.
Murakami studied drama at Waseda University in Tokyo, where he met his wife, Yoko. His first job was at a record store, much like Toru Watanabe, the narrator of Norwegian Wood. Shortly before finishing his studies, Murakami opened a coffeehouse and jazz bar, the Peter Cat, in Kokubunji, Tokyo, which he ran with his wife from 1974 to 1981 - again, not unlike the protagonist in his later novel "South of the border, West of the sun."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami
As a baby-boomer he will have grown up in a society where America influences were important. Perhaps somewhat comparable to the post-war European generation, where there was a lot of American cultural influence connected with the American involvement in the Second World War and the subsequent Marshall Plan and of course the Cold War.
I think that the search for identity, for 'their' world, is a theme that is found not only in Murakami's work, but also in European literature.