@article{ART003398389},
author={Park, Shin Young and Chang-Soo Lee},
title={A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood},
journal={Cross-Cultural Studies},
issn={1598-0685},
year={2026},
volume={79},
pages={141-166},
doi={10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141}
TY - JOUR
AU - Park, Shin Young
AU - Chang-Soo Lee
TI - A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood
JO - Cross-Cultural Studies
PY - 2026
VL - 79
IS - null
PB - Center for Cross Culture Studies
SP - 141
EP - 166
SN - 1598-0685
AB - This study interprets Haruki Murakami’s masterpiece Norwegian Wood through the framework of narrative structures found in Japanese mythology. In the novel, the deaths of Kizuki and Naoko transcend personal loss and serve as a metaphorical requiem for the pure passion and ideals that society had lost. Through their tragedies, Murakami mourns the cumulative loss hidden beneath the affluence of rapid economic growth and poses a fundamental question regarding the direction that Japanese society should take. Furthermore, this paper highlights that the archetypal structure of “trial → loss of something dear → rebirth” in the mythology of the Kojiki is deeply reflected in the underlying narrative of the novel.
The journey of the protagonist, Watanabe, aligns with the mythological pattern of Izanagi, who visits the underworld after the death of his beloved wife, confronts a painful truth, and then returns to the world of the living to undergo a purification ritual before reintegrating into daily life. In contrast to Naoko, who remains trapped in death and the past, Midori represents reality—vibrant and full of vitality—symbolizing life and hope.
At the novel’s climax, Watanabe’s act of calling Midori manifests his willingness to accept an imperfect life and return to reality rather than endlessly pursue a flawless identity. In conclusion, Norwegian Wood can be regarded as a work that multidimensionally portrays the healing and rebirth that individuals undergo after passing through a lost era, as well as the identity crisis and growth experienced by Japanese youth. It achieves this through a mythological narrative structure that the author naturally absorbed from Japan’s cultural soil.
KW - Haruki Murakami;Norwegian Wood;Mythological Interpretation;Kojiki;Loss and Rebirth
DO - 10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
ER -
Park, Shin Young and Chang-Soo Lee. (2026). A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Cross-Cultural Studies, 79, 141-166.
Park, Shin Young and Chang-Soo Lee. 2026, "A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood", Cross-Cultural Studies, vol.79, pp.141-166. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
Park, Shin Young, Chang-Soo Lee "A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood" Cross-Cultural Studies 79 pp.141-166 (2026) : 141.
Park, Shin Young, Chang-Soo Lee. A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. 2026; 79 141-166. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
Park, Shin Young and Chang-Soo Lee. "A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood" Cross-Cultural Studies 79(2026) : 141-166.doi: 10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
Park, Shin Young; Chang-Soo Lee. A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Cross-Cultural Studies, 79, 141-166. doi: 10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
Park, Shin Young; Chang-Soo Lee. A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Cross-Cultural Studies. 2026; 79 141-166. doi: 10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
Park, Shin Young, Chang-Soo Lee. A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. 2026; 79 141-166. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
Park, Shin Young and Chang-Soo Lee. "A Mythological Interpretation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood" Cross-Cultural Studies 79(2026) : 141-166.doi: 10.21049/ccs.2026.79..141
