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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2020)
ASIA / PACIFIC January 6, 2020 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 5 Murakami holds rare public reading to mark debut anniversary By Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press OKYO — A monkey that confesses he steals women’s identity cards, causing them to temporarily forget who they are, starred as author Haruki Murakami marked 40 years since his debut as a novelist with his first public reading in Japan in nearly a quarter century. Now 70 and one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed novelists, Murakami debuted with Hear the Wind Sing in 1979, four years after he began writing while running a jazz bar in Tokyo. His 1987 romantic novel Norwegian Wood was his first bestseller, establishing him as a young literary star. His latest novel, Killing Commendatore, hit U.S. bookstores in 2018. Media-shy Murakami’s last public readings were in Kobe and Ashiya in western Japan, where he grew up, following a deadly 1995 earthquake there. At the recent event, he was joined by award-winning young female novelist Mieko Kawakami, a longtime Murakami fan who was in the audience at both events 24 years ago before she became a novelist. After the two authors took turns reading passages from their works, Murakami said, “Actually, I have a brand new novel that I wrote a few weeks ago, and I haven’t even published it.” He said it is called Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey and is a sequel to A Shinagawa Monkey, a story of a woman named Mizuki who forgets her name because a monkey had stolen it, published as part of a 2002 compilation, Five Strange Tales from Tokyo. T The new story takes place at a small Japanese hot spring hotel where a monkey appears as the protagonist takes a bath. The monkey, apparently speaking in Japanese, offers to wash his back, and explains he was raised by a professor and grew up listening to classical music such as Joseph Bruckner and Richard Strauss. The monkey faced discrimination in the conformist monkey RECLUSE READING. Author Haruki Murakami, 70, speaks on stage last month in Tokyo. A monkey that confesses he steals women’s identity cards, causing them to temporarily forget who they are, stars as Murakami marks 40 years since his debut as a novelist with his first public reading in Japan in nearly a quarter century. He debuted with Hear the Wind Sing in 1979, four years after he began writing while running a jazz bar in Tokyo. (Shinchosa via AP) community and ended up at the hot springs hotel where he is hired as a helper and given an attic to live in. After the protagonist invites the monkey to his room for a chat over beer, the monkey says he is called Shinagawa Monkey and reveals he has a bad habit of stealing part of the names of women he falls in love with by taking their driver’s licenses and other identification cards, causing them to forget their names. Murakami said Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey takes about 50 minutes to read, so he read a 30-minute abridged version for the event. Murakami comically acted out conversation between the monkey and the protagonist, setting off laughter from the floor. He said the story may be published in the near future. Without any video cameras present, Murakami appeared relaxed as he and Kawakami took turns reading their works. Kawakami won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2008 for Breasts and Eggs and has penned other award-winning novels including Dreams of Love, etc, Yearning, and Heaven. The two authors have published a new book, A Horned Owl Takes Off at Dawn: A long long interview by Kawakami Mieko, a collection of her interviews of Murakami. Thai SEAL dies of blood infection a year after cave rescue By Tassanee Vejpongsa The Associated Press ANGKOK — A Thai navy SEAL who was part of the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave has died of a blood infection contracted during the risky operation, the Royal Thai Navy said. Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara was receiving treatment but his condition B worsened after the infection spread into his blood, according to an announcement on the Thai navy SEAL’s Facebook page. He is the second navy diver who lost his life in the high-profile operation that saw the boys and the coach extracted from deep inside the northern cave complex, where they were trapped for two weeks in June and July last year. Lt. Cmdr. Saman Gunan died while resupplying oxygen tanks on July 6, 2018. According to the Bangkok Post daily, Pakbara was buried at the Talosai mosque in southern Satun province. Local media quoted his mother as saying her son had been in and out of the hospital since the cave rescue. The boys and their coach entered the Tham Luang cave complex after soccer practice and were quickly trapped inside by rising floodwater. Despite a massive search, the boys spent nine nights lost in the cave before they were spotted by an expert diver. It would take another eight days before they were all safe. A team of expert divers guided each of the boys out of the cave on special stretchers. The operation required placing oxygen canisters along the path where the divers maneuvered dark, tight, and twisting passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents. Get help with health insurance Stop by for face-to-face help with your CareOregon health insurance at a Connect to Care event. We’ll connect you to the care you need. Not enrolled? We’ll see if you’re eligible for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). If you are, we’ll get you enrolled, set up appointments and more. CLACKAMAS MULTNOMAH Clackamas Service Center 8800 SE 80th Ave, Portland Tuesday, January 14, 2020 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Department of Human Services: East County Office 11826 NE Glisan St, Portland Friday, January 3, 2020 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Department of Human Services: Alberta Office 30 N Webster St, Portland Tuesday, January 7, 2020 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Orchid Health Center 535 NE 6th Ave, Estacada Friday, January 17, 2020 10 a.m.-12 p.m. CareOregon Open Hours 315 SW 5th Ave, Portland Wednesday, January 8, 2020 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Mulino Child Development Coalition 13700 S Freeman Rd, Mulino Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12-2 p.m. Portland Rescue Mission: Burnside Shelter 111 W Burnside, Portland Thursday, January 9, 2020 8-10 a.m. Beavercreek Clinic Free Food Market 110 Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City Tuesday, January 7, 2020 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PSU Free Food Market In front of Shattuck Hall 1914 SW Park Ave, Portland Monday, January 13, 2020 11 a.m.-1 p.m. MULTNOMAH Department of Human Services: SE Malden 8129 SE Malden St, Portland Tuesday, January 14, 2020 1:30-4 p.m. CareOregon Open Hours 315 SW 5th Ave, Portland Wednesday, January 15, 2020 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CareOregon Open Hours 315 SW 5th Ave, Portland Wednesday, January 22, 2020 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Portland Open Bible Church Food Pantry 3223 SE 92nd Ave, Portland Thursday, January 23, 2020 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Union Gospel Mission 3 NW Third Ave, Portland Tuesday, January 28, 2020 1-4 p.m. SNAP assistance available at ALL locations WASHINGTON Emanuel Lutheran Church Winter Shelter 1124 S Beech St, Cornelius Thursday, January 2, 2020 5-7:30 p.m. Beaverton City Library 12375 SW 5th St, Beaverton Wednesday, January 8, 2020 12-4 p.m. Project Homeless Connect Sonrise Church 6701 NE Campus Way, Hillsboro Friday, January 24, 2020 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Make getting health care simpler with Connect to Care, formerly goMobile. careoregon.org/connecttocare connect to care