Haruki Murakami, the acclaimed Japanese author, is to donate his record collection, as well as original manuscripts, to Tokyo’s Waseda University, where he studied.
His collection is made up of around 10,000 records and most of which are jazz, as The Japan Times reports. Speaking during a press conference, the writer, who is 69 years-old, said that the donation "is a very important thing for me, so I thought I should explain clearly… I don’t have any children, and it would cause trouble for me if those materials became scattered or lost."
The university will also be aiming to set up a replica of his home study to house the record collection, as well as other materials that Murakami is donating. "I couldn’t be happier if [the centre] will help those who want to study my works," he said. "I hope it will be something that promotes cultural exchange."
Murakami also said that if it was possible, he would like to arrange a concert which will involve him playing some records from his large collection.
