Yes, and it’s interesting that you bring up this point of authenticity because I think that it’s distinct from sincerity in an important way. Authenticity for me is the use of freedom to make genuine choices. In the Murakami context, this is important given his refusal to stay in-line with the traditional Japanese literary canon, with writers like Mishima for example.

Some people may say that this is because Murakami is heavily westernised. I agree that Murakami is influenced by Western culture, but I don’t get a sense that his writing is affected by it in the typical “cultural appropriation” way. Rather, Murakami integrates Western and Japanese culture, in a way that seems sincere because it reflects his own interests. This is why I agree that Murakami is an authentic writer, and an excellent example of a global writer.