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Murakami's influence has not nearly as much to do with Japanese horror films in general as it does specifically to do with superstar Japanese horror writer Koji Suzuki's fiction. He's the author who wrote the Ringu (The Ring) series as well as the outstanding short fiction collection Dark Waters, which includes "Floating Water," the story upon which the film "Dark Water" starring Jennifer Connelly is based. Whereas Murakami obsesses on the instability of the land, Suzuki manipulates the inherent fears and frays of the sea in many of his most memorable tales. And the most interesting part is that not all of Suzuki's stories are horrific. Some like "Solitary Isle" echo Murakami's themes of isolation and transformation.
Certainly, I wider understanding of Japanese dark fiction is necessary to fully appreciate the direction of Murakami's writing or any other Japanese fiction author, for that matter. It's a worthy undertaking, to be sure.
That style of narration annoyed me. It was showy and jerked me out of the story, and I couldn't see any need or justification for it based on the text... unless it's meant to be a commentary on the television in Eri's room (which is when it's at its most blatant).
