In a groundbreaking move for the renowned author, Haruki Murakami's latest novel, 'The Tale of KAHO', went on sale in Japan on Friday. The event was marked by an enthusiastic crowd at a Tokyo bookstore, eager to get their hands on the first copies as soon as midnight struck. This is Murakami's first full-length novel with a female protagonist, Kaho, a picture book author whose life takes a bizarre turn. According to Shinchosha Publishing Co., the story delves into the extraordinary events that occur around an ordinary young woman. The idea for 'The Tale of KAHO' originated from a short story titled 'Kaho', which Murakami initially rehearsed at a reading event two years ago with Mieko Kawakami, a well-known female author and fan of his work. The story was later published in the June 2024 edition of Shincho magazine. Fans hope to gain insights into a female protagonist's perspective as the story evolved from a series of magazine stories into a full-length novel. Kaho, who is in her late twenties, embarks on a blind date arranged by her book editor, leading to a series of bizarre encounters with mysterious characters such as an anteater and a jaguar. The novel consists of four chapters: 'Kaho and the Motorcycle Man', 'The Anteater of Musashi-sakai', 'Kaho and the Termite Queen', and 'The Guardian Angel, Elephant Egg and Scarlett Johansson'. While the English translation of the first 'Kaho' story has been published in The New Yorker, the novel is currently available only in Japanese. No plans for translation have been disclosed yet. This new book follows Murakami's previous novel released three years ago, 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls', which focused on a male protagonist navigating love, loss, and the boundaries between real and subconscious worlds.