Great posts by BenG and desertblues. I guess that I have not attached importance to nor have I been bothered by the fact that the books that I have read by Murakami have contained so many American influences. In part because that reflected the reality of post-WWII Japan. That and I also have just looked on Murakami as a excellent author who just happens to be Japanese (ethnically and by origin), not a Japanese [constrained to write about Japan] author.