Murakami

Murakami (村上) is a Japanese surname and place name. The kanji combine 村 (mura, “village”) and 上 (kami/ue, “above” or “up”), yielding an interpretation such as “above the village.” The name is relatively common in Japan and is also found among Japanese communities abroad.

Haruki Murakami, born in 1949, is one of the best-known individuals with this surname. He is a novelist whose works, including The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood, and Kafka on the Shore, have been translated into many languages and widely read internationally.

Murakami also serves as a geographic name in Japan. The city of Murakami in Niigata Prefecture is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan and is one example of the use of Murakami as a place name. The term appears in various localities and contexts across the country.