Lost in Murakami's World
Salih Yayar and His Passion for Haruki Murakami
“I can't read a Murakami book without thinking what I can do with this book. After 50 pages, I’m already thinking — okay, maybe a podcast, maybe a film. I just want to share it immediately.” — Salih Yayar
I first read 1Q84 fourteen years ago, and it changed something in me. Haruki Murakami’s novels are their own universe — a place where reality softens at the edges, where talking cats, mysterious wells, and parallel dimensions feel like they could bleed into this one at any moment. His books read like dream logic set to paper.
For years, I thought of my love for Murakami’s books — many of which I’ve read countless times — as something private. I knew he had millions of fans around the world, but knowing that in theory is different from actually connecting with another person who loves his work just as much
And then I found Salih Yayar.
I don’t remember exactly how we first connected. Maybe I reposted a Murakami quote he had shared; maybe he liked one of mine. But at some point, I realized: this guy didn’t just read Murakami — he had built an entire world around him.
In the past eight years, Yayar has gone from picking up his first Murakami book to becoming the Murakami guy online. He runs an Instagram account dedicated to all things Murakami, makes short films visualizing his books, hosts a podcast, and leads a worldwide Murakami-dedicated book club.
So just what is it about the Japanese novelist’s writing that draws people like us in? I know my answer — I wanted to know his.
“That’s a difficult question,” he says, pausing for a moment. “Basically, I love everything. It’s just the relief you can get from reading him. Like you’re getting pulled into a different place… and everything around you changes. You just get sucked in.”
I know the relief he’s talking about. There’s something comforting about being pulled into Murakami’s world, disconcerting as it can sometimes be.
“I totally agree,” I say. “But people who don’t get it think his writing is just… weird.”
Yayar laughs. “Totally. He’s polarizing. Either you love him or you hate him. I think there’s nothing in between.”
That’s the thing about Murakami — he’s one of the most celebrated authors alive, yet his work isn’t for everyone. Some readers find his worlds too mundane; others, too surreal. But those of us who love him know there’s nothing else quite like it.
Which is why I hesitate to recommend him — he isn’t for everyone.
Maybe that’s true of most passions. Not everyone will get the things we love. Which makes it even more special when you find others who do.
The Start of a Rabbit Hole
Yayar hasn’t always been a Murakami fan. In fact, eight years ago, he wasn’t much of a reader at all. But that changed on his 30th birthday when a single book caught his eye — and nothing was ever the same.
That book was Killing Commendatore. Yayar saw the cover and had an instant premonition: he had to read it. He started reading it right there in the store.
“After three or four pages, I knew I had to take that book home,” he says. He finished all 700+ pages in just three days.
“The rest is history,” he says, a wistful look in his eyes. That first book sent him down the rabbit hole. He went online and ordered everything he could get his hands on: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Sputnik Sweeheart, Kafka on the Shore, and Norwegian Wood — just to name a few.
Murakami pulled him into his world, and he never left.
Some Passions Demand to Be Shared
Some passions can’t be contained. They demand to be shared.
That’s how it was for Yayar. From the very beginning, loving Murakami wasn’t enough — he needed to dosomething with it.
He started small, posting Murakami-inspired artwork on Instagram. Then came the short films. Then a podcast. Then a book club in Turkish, his native language.
“I can't read a Murakami book without thinking what I can do with it,” he says. “After 50 pages, I’m already thinking — okay, maybe a podcast, maybe a film. I just want to share it immediately.”
Before he knew it, he had built an entire world around the thing he loved.
And in sharing his passion, he found something unexpected: a global network of people just as obsessed as he was.
Fans with 1Q84’s two moons tattooed on their necks. A jazz musician who recorded an entire album inspired by Murakami’s characters. A writer from Tunisia who published a book analyzing Murakami’s use of first-person narration.
He gets messages daily — people asking him for book recommendations, inviting him to literary events, even requesting his help with Murakami-inspired research.
“It’s getting crazy,” he says, laughing.
Technically, it’s a hobby. It has nothing to do with his job as a salesperson. But it consumes a huge portion of his time — and it’s given him something his day job never could.
“I think hobbies are very underestimated,” he says.
I couldn’t agree more.
Because when we throw ourselves into the things we love — not for validation, not for status, but just because we love them — something incredible happens.
We find each other.
Yayar never set out to build a Murakami empire. His ultimate dream? To put a Murakami novel on the big screen.
“If I got that…” He sighs, already lost in the thought of it.
But the numbers? The subscriber count? He couldn’t care less.
“If you start caring about that, it’s forced,” he says. “You lose the quality, you lose your roots. I do this because I love it.”
And yet, in following his passion, he found something bigger. A community. A global network of people who, like him, aren’t content to just read Murakami — they want to nerd out about it. Together.
When I first found Murakami, it felt like I’d stepped into another world. When I found Yayar, I realized I wasn’t wandering through it alone.
Passion — especially for something like books — is often thought of as a solitary thing. But when shared, it transforms. It connects us. It builds new worlds.
And just like a Murakami novel, sometimes the best journeys start with an unexpected connection — one that changes everything.
Takeaways
Here’s one big thing I learned this week about passion, one exercise you can try to help reignite your own interests, and one unexpected discovery I made while talking to Salih Yayar.
One Lesson: Passion Grows When You Share It
Salih didn’t just love Murakami — he turned that love into something bigger. By creating art, short films, a podcast, and a global book club, he transformed his passion from something personal into something communal. His story is a reminder that when we share what we love, it deepens our connection to it and introduces us to people who feel the same way. Whether it’s writing about it, making something inspired by it, or simply talking to others, passion grows when it’s shared.
One Exercise: Find Your Fellow Nerds
Passion can feel like a solo pursuit, especially when it comes to something like reading. But as Yayar’s story shows, finding others who love what you love can make that passion even more fulfilling. If you have an interest that’s always felt solitary, try looking for ways to connect with others — whether it’s through an online community, a local club, or just sharing your enthusiasm with a friend. Because nerding out together? It’s one of the best feelings in the world.
One Curiosity: The Murakami Novel I Somehow Haven’t Read
In the process of talking to Salih, I realized there’s one Murakami book I’ve never read: Sputnik Sweetheart. I just bought it, and it’s next on my list. Who knows? Maybe this will be the book that reshapes my view of his work all over again.
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