For nearly three decades since his seismic debut with "Almost Transparent Blue," which delved into the sex- and drug-fueled lives of Japanese youths in a town hosting a huge U.S. military base, author Ryu Murakami has often used his trademark explicit, offensive and guiltlessly cheerful language to dig deep into Japan's myriad subcultures.
Despite his raciness, though, Murakami has constantly appealed to a mainstream audience that has kept him consistently high on the nation's best-seller lists, due in part to his unparalleled skill in melding the social, economic and political motifs of Japan into his dark visions.
So it might not come as a huge surprise that Murakami has picked North Korea -- arguably the biggest security threat faced by Japan at the moment -- as a theme for his latest novel, published 10 days ago.