10 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About Haruki Murakami

7. He Was Once Plagued By A Food-Based Nightmare

When asked if he has vivid dreams €“ owing to the dreamlike quality of his writing €“ Murakami responded by saying that he doesn't really remember his dreams, but that he had been suffering a recurring nightmare for the past few years. In the dream, a silhouetted figure cooks Murakami snake-meat tempura, caterpillar pie and rice with tiny pandas wandering about in it. The worst part of the dream is that even though he doesn't want to eat the food, he feels like he has to. Luckily for Murakami, he always wakes up just before he does. Sounds an awful lot like the premise for a great Murakami short story.