Murakami Haruki and back translation

Back translating?

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Franz: One writer I’ve heard of who does that is Murakami Haruki.

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Yoko: Yes. He did. That’s how he got started, how he developed his distinctive voice. He thought in Japanese, wrote in English and back-translated into Japanese.

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Franz: Is that why he doesn’t mind giving speeches in English?

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Yoko: Yes, he’s comfortable with planning a speech in English. He says writing short sentences in English reduces his choices, makes it clearer, gives him confidence.

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Franz: He delivers well. He’s good at getting the audience on his side. They laugh, they nod in agreement.

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Yoko: Oh, but he also practises. Over and over. Often when he goes out running. Even gestures and facial expressions.

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Franz: Surprising passersby no doubt.

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Voice-over

Reversing Murakami's method

It has been said that Murakami's Japanese often reads, in the original, as if it has been translated from English. If an English writer were to do the same; by writing in Japanese first then back-translating into English, would it have a redolence of having come from the Japanese? It goes without saying though that such a writer must first be fluent in Japanese.

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