Japanese author Haruki Murakami receives book award

(15 Feb 2009)
1. Israeli President Shimon Peres and Japanese author Haruki Murakami entering conference hall
2. Murakami sitting in hall, to his right Peres and next to him Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat
3. Low angle shot of Murakami and Peres
4. Mid of Murakami, pull out wide of hall as announcer introduces him and crowd applauds
5. Murakami and Peres
6. Wide of audience in hall
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem:
"For his important message of tolerance, humanism and understanding and his continued literary achievements, I am proud to award Haruki Murakami the 2009 Jerusalem prize."
8. Murakami walking onto stage
9. Cutaway of photographers
10. Murakami receiving award, shaking hands with Barkat UPSOUND: applause
11. Crowd applauding
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Haruki Murakami, Novelist and winner of 2009 Jerusalem prize:
"After receiving notice of this award I asked myself whether travelling to Israel at a time like this and accepting a literary prize is a proper thing to do and whether this creates the impression I supported one side in the conflict and that I endorse the policies of a nation that chose to unleash it's overwhelming military power. Neither of course do I see my books subjected to a boycott. Finally however, after careful consideration, I made up my mind to come here. One reason for my decision is that all too many people advised me not to do it, like many other novelists I tend to do the exact opposite of what I am told, yeah..." (crowd clapping)
13. Cutaway wide of Murakami at the podium
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Haruki Murakami, Novelist and winner of 2009 Jerusalem prize:
"I choose to come here rather than stay away. I chose to see for myself rather than not to see. I chose to speak to you rather than to say nothing. So please do allow me to deliver a message, one very personal message. It is something I keep in my mind, always keep in my mind while I am writing fiction. I have never gone so far as to write it on a piece of paper and paste it to the wall, rather it is carved into the wall of my mind. It goes something like this - between high solid wall and an egg (that) breaks against it I will always stand on the side of the egg. No matter how right the wall may be, how wrong the egg I will be standing with the egg."
15. Pan from Murakami at podium to crowd cheering
16. Murakami surrounded by fans and signing autographs
17. Close-up of autograph with pull out to show two fans holding up a Murakami novel
18. Murakami leaving, surrounded by cameramen and fans
STORYLINE
Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami was in Jerusalem on Sunday, to receive a prestigious award, despite threats by readers in his native Japan that they would boycott his books should he visit Israel.
In remarks he made after he received the 2009 Jerusalem prize, Murakami said he had been "advised" not to visit Israel after its ferocious assault on the Gaza Strip.
But he said he ignored the warning.
"Like many other novelists I tend to do the exact opposite of what I'm told," he said, to raucous applause.
On a more serious note the novelist added, "I chose to see for myself rather than not to see."
He had thought long and hard about his decision, he told the audience, which included Israeli President Shimon Peres.
"I asked myself whether travelling to Israel at a time like this and accepting a literary prize is a proper thing to do and whether this creates the impression I supported one side in the conflict and that I endorse the policies of a nation that chose to unleash it's overwhelming military power."
His works have been translated into some 35 languages.
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[@soraka0626]

Now is the time for this speech to be heard around the world.

[@exlibrisfuerenea]

Yesssss

[@samanthapalus1085]

Absolutely

[@kylem8127]

Murakami went on to compare humans to eggs. "If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg. Why? Because each of us is an egg, a unique soul enclosed in a fragile egg. Each of us is confronting a high wall. The high wall is the system which forces us to do the things we would not ordinarily see fit to do as individuals." We are all "human beings, individuals, fragile eggs", according to the author. "We have no hope against the wall: it's too high, too dark, too cold," he said. "To fight the wall, we must join our souls together for warmth, strength. We must not let the system control us - create who we are. It is we who created the system."

[@perhaps5095]

I think his metaphor was more about the conflicts in Palestine and Israel, but I like your interpretation of it much more

[@kylem8127]

@@perhaps5095 It's not my interpretation. It's Murakami's statement. This video is edited.

[@perhaps5095]

@@kylem8127 oh ok my bad

[@DearIsobel]

@@perhaps5095I think it’s both. You can read the whole speech: www.jbookforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ACCEPTANCE-ADDRESS-BY-Haruki-Murakami.pdf

[@Himalayagirl889]

​@@kylem8127did he really said that? In exact ?

[@elshuffles]

being treated like the rockstar he is!!!

[@mermaidonwheels]

always stand with the egg

[@symbatusj]

he is a great writer

[@suntastic3589]

Here after reading two books of him. Already in love with his writing....

[@davidsheriff9274]

Which did you read?

[@bbens999]

I am also on the side with egg. Thank you Murakami. For everything.

[@kylem8127]

Why is this censored? This is from the AP, yet it is wildly edited, and condensed to the point of discarding context and meaning. It is not isolated to a political comment against Israel; rather, it is a human comment against oppression in all shapes and forms. It is much more powerful than any insidious Semitic comment. To imply such, and edit this in this way is an atrocity to the collective human intellect. It is an edit that dis-empowers a youtube viewership. An oppressive edit to say the least.

[@suntastic3589]

Thank you Kyle 👏🏽

[@crunchyTOP24]

This is my first time hearing murakami's voice after reading a huge chunk of his books. Wow

[@marshalkropp482]

I just read Wind Up Bird Chronicle, my first Murakami book, and have fallen in love. It somehow brings a sense of comfort knowing there is someone out there capable of creating such things.

[@samanthapalus1085]

That's my favorite of his

[@marshalkropp482]

@@samanthapalus1085 I've read a couple more since and it's still top of the list for me. Still think about it often. Still want to find myself a good well to go down.

[@NaevaLumi]

I read Sputnik sweetheart recently and loved it too

[@marshalkropp482]

@@NaevaLumi That's waiting for me on my bookshelf. I'm scared of running out of fresh Murakami to read. Trying to pace myself.

[@NaevaLumi]

@@marshalkropp482 haha! You should try it soon and tell me about your opinion. And I've been looking forward to buy some of his other books next year.

[@m.smathe8358]

well put Mr Murakami....the egg: palestine ; the wall: israel , if you didn't get it

[@marktaratine7414]

What's "palestine"?

[@boredshrimp9425]

@@marktaratine7414 A country.

[@marktaratine7414]

@@boredshrimp9425 You mean the fictitious state that the Arab refugees came up with after 1967 and now the whole world believes it? You mean the Ancient Roman region of Palestine whose name the "Palestinians" can't even pronounce correctly? You mean the place that never had defined borders? You mean the place that never had an official currency and still uses Israeli and Jordanian currencies? You mean the place where leaders before Yasser Arafat are unknown (Ahmed Yassin doesn't count, he was a terrorist)? Yeah, it's not a country.

[@boredshrimp9425]

@@marktaratine7414 No, I mean the country

[@Vicky-fl7pv]

@@boredshrimp9425 🤣🤣🤣

[@thegirlwholeftthefridgeopen]

The egg vs the wall analogy looked like it was applied with Murakami walking through the press and the fans shoving their books to get signed by him. Hehe

[@remzi95604]

Looks like he's thinking about his broken soul, childhood love while speaking.

[@livingbeingloved1504]

and here I am after reading 3 books of him. I have a sort of dream that one day I would read all his books. I hope I could.

[@samanthapalus1085]

You absolutely can. What books have you read?

[@qingbu]

I like this speech a lot, because it feels very personal and willful.

[@raskolnikov2112]

Genius that revolutionized literature. No one is like him. His style is so refreshing. Love Murakami. He may be the last great writer.

[@hit7671]

If there weren't this speech, he had already received a noble prize in literature.

[@cruiserkid1]

really??

[@村田茂明]

I'd like to agree with you.

[@neve6867]

i completely agree. what a bold, bold man.

[@MissZeeKorea]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@swisspuppy]

That’s probably why he has never won the Nobel Prize.

[@zyngremlin7378]

Only Zionists like Bob Dylan get the nobels hese days.

[@pratiktembhekar1996]

RESPECT MURAKAMI ❤️☮️💯

[@k.miyamoto8183]

数少ない日本の知性、村上春樹！

[@nirvanakamala2809]

that’s the love of my life

[@abderahmanrejeb4423]

Why?

[@guanchuliu4039]

3:32

[@r.s.9861]

Murakami 💙

[@magidkabbaj4991]

I love peace

[@kazehamachi566]

what’s egg and wall. couldn’t understand at all

[@Ali-pk8qs]

Wall is Israel, egg is palestine.

[@satoru.nakata]

​@@Ali-pk8qsegg is israel wall is palestine

[@Ali-pk8qs]

@@satoru.nakata funny

[@atiyahussain3837]

Legend!!!

[@kitami6926]

This is why he will not win the Nobel Prize.

[@circaaeon5032]

If only the rest of the world could use their heart, mind and common sense instead of "doing what they're told". See Israel for yourself like Haruki did, don't blindly follow what the Media's says - they are also great fiction writers. Who is the egg? Who is the wall? Come and see for yourself, come and decide for yourself with an open mind and heart.

[@solitaryreaper4592]

what are u trying to imply here, dear sir! is israel the egg with its so high and mighty military power, and palenstine the wall? is that the point u’re trying to get across here, sir?

[@francoisdolin1850]

Clearly the egg is Palestine, he came and saw it

[@btowang862]

Favorite ❤

[@ergolibersum]

I want to be friends with him but that would be too costly. I mean start living where he lives, try not to look like a psycho and blend into his life in a natural looking way, face with the fact that at some point I need to tell him that I did not just became a part of his life naturally and it was a very costly project and then face losing him. I want to be best friends with him so hard that that I can cry.

[@vitorsouza4037]

Bravo!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇯🇵♥️🔝🔝🔝😍🇧🇷

[@quenore2913]

So cool

[@Fyodor48]

i love ISRAEL,

[@havizjo6982]

Fyodor48 the ‘high wall’ is israel btw

[@daydreaming5159]

btw, he meant Israel when said the wall, and Palestine when he said the egg. sooo he is on the egg side.

[@murakamisundae6814]

The Israel and Palestine is the wall. And we the people are the egg. The system is the wall, and the individual is the egg.

[@daydreaming5159]

@@murakamisundae6814 i think u misunderstood the meaning

[@m.w.r.saucier3118]

@@daydreaming5159 I think that's the point of fiction. It's always open for interpretation.