Ryu Murakami was born in Sasebo where the U.S. Navy's harbour is located. Raised there till his high school days. After graduation, he came up to Tokyo and lived in Fussa, near the base of U.S. Army. He wrote the novel, "Kagirinaku Tomei ni chikai Blue", from a decadent life there. It won the Akutagawa Prize, the most authoritative literary prize in Japan. Since then, he has written many novels, essays and scenarios.