Back in the day, Murakami studied at Waseda University in Toyko. Many of Murakami's experiences at university have made it into his books (student unrest is a repeated motif). What you may not know, however, is that during his time at university, Murakami was a little bit obsessed with movies. It's widely reported that he once watched more than two-hundred films in a single year while studying. Aside from that, according to the man himself, his favourite director is the Finnish Aki Kaurismaki. No wonder his books often have such a cinematic quality.