INTERVIEW: Haruki Murakami releases 1st novel in 3 yrs with "renewed passion" for writing

TOKYO - Internationally renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami released on Friday his first novel in around three years, a surrealist piece peopled by otherworldly beings where the "real and unreal" mingle.

For "The Tale of Kaho," Murakami has also made a woman the sole protagonist of a full-length novel for the first time. The 352-page work follows a picture book author named Kaho who matures as she confronts her relationship with her mother.