TEHRAN- “The Tale of KAHO,” Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s latest novel, has recently been translated into Persian. 

Araz Barseqian is the translator of the book, pulished by Milkan Publications in Tehran.

Published in Japan in July 2026, the 352-page novel is Murakami’s first full-length work to feature a woman as its sole protagonist.

The “Tale of KAHO” follows Kaho, a 26-year-old picture-book author who appears to be an ordinary young woman, neither exceptionally beautiful nor particularly brilliant, but somewhat more curious than most people. Her life takes an unexpected turn after she goes on a blind date arranged by her editor.

During the meeting, the man bluntly tells Kaho that she is the ugliest woman he has ever met. Rather than simply becoming angry or offended, Kaho is deeply puzzled and curious about what the man really means. Why would he say something so cruel and direct to a complete stranger? Her attempt to understand his motives becomes the starting point of a series of increasingly strange and mysterious events. 

As Kaho tries to make sense of her encounter, reality around her gradually begins to take on the surreal and dreamlike qualities familiar to Murakami's fiction. The story introduces a number of unusual characters and situations, including an anteater, a jaguar, a termite queen, a guardian angel and even an elephant egg and Scarlett Johansson. The four chapters of the novel are titled “Kaho and the Motorcycle Man,” “The Anteater of Musashi-sakai,” “Kaho and the Termite Queen,” and “The Guardian Angel, Elephant Egg and Scarlett Johansson.”

At its core, however, the novel is not simply a surreal adventure. Kaho's strange journey also becomes an exploration of identity, self-image and the way women are perceived by others. The initial insult forces Kaho—who had previously paid little attention to her appearance—to confront questions about how she sees herself and how society, particularly men, sees her. 

Interestingly, Murakami has said that he wrote the novel by imagining himself becoming Kaho. It grew from a short story titled “Kaho,” published in “Shincho” in 2024, which was subsequently expanded into a four-part series before being revised and brought together as the novel. 

Haruki Murakami is one of Japan’s most internationally acclaimed contemporary writers, known for blending surrealism, dreamlike narratives and elements of Western popular culture with themes of loneliness, memory, love and alienation. 

His best-known works include “Norwegian Wood”, “Kafka on the Shore”, “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle”, “1Q84” and “Killing Commendatore”. His novels have been translated into numerous languages and have earned him a global readership, while his distinctive literary style has made him a recurring contender for major international literary awards.

SAB/