Haruki Murakami’s works, including “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” focus on human psychology, the boundaries between the real and unreal worlds, and human identity and self-awareness. Digital humans are digital entities that mimic humans, and the advancement of recent technology has increasingly blurred the boundary between the real world and the digital world. In this regard, examining the relationship between Murakami’s works and digital humans presents an interesting challenge.
Firstly, in Murakami’s works such as “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” it is common for characters to embark on a journey of self-discovery. They search for connections with themselves and others, and attempt to understand the relationships between reality and dreams, or different worlds. In contrast, digital humans imitate the appearance and functions of humans and can interact with humans through computers and the internet. Digital humans have the potential to blur the boundary between the real and digital worlds and provide new perspectives on human identity and self-awareness.
Secondly, supernatural beings and mysterious events that often appear in works like “The City and Its Uncertain Walls” prompt a reexamination of the boundaries between reality and unreality. This is similar to how digital humans blur the boundary between the real and digital worlds. As digital humans behave like humans, it becomes difficult to distinguish between the real and digital worlds, which may raise questions about human identity.
Furthermore, in Murakami’s works, characters often confront their inner selves and undergo a process of self-transformation. Digital humans can imitate human emotions and thoughts, allowing for near-human communication, a theme shared with Murakami’s works. Interaction with digital humans may promote self-understanding and growth in humans. Additionally, digital humans themselves may evolve and become more human-like through repeated learning.
As digital humans become increasingly human-like, the issues of identity and self-awareness, themes in Murakami’s works, will take on greater significance in modern society. In dealing with digital humans, humans will be forced to question what kind of beings they are and how they should perceive their relationships with others and the digital world.
In Murakami’s works, characters’ desires and emotions deep within their hearts can be embodied as they search for their own identity. In this respect, digital humans share similarities with Murakami’s works in that they can express themselves free from the constraints of the real world.
Sometimes, Murakami’s works depict escapism and loneliness, and interaction with digital humans may help alleviate these feelings. However, concerns about excessive dependence on digital humans and the loss of connection with the real world also arise.
In summary, the relationship between Murakami’s works and digital humans presents new challenges and possibilities in modern society through issues related to human identity, self-awareness, and the boundaries between reality and unreality. As the evolution and proliferation of digital humans continue, the questions raised by Murakami’s works should be examined more deeply.
