Spoiler Alert: Wataru Menshiki is a character Haruki Murakami’s Novel Killing Commendatore.
I highly recommend reading the Novel, it is surely one of my all time favourites and I have read and continue to re-read it multiple times. A note on time — As the novel is a snapshot in time, all references to the present in this article relate to the now in the novel. The novel came out in 2017, so ‘now’ refers to the year 2017.
A name to remember
Wataru — to cross a river
Menshiki — Avoiding Colours
The name caught my attention and interest. As mentioned in the novel, it is an Easy Name to remember. The theme of crossing a river and avoiding colours comes up in the Novel and the connection is very subtle. Something which I would let you, the reader, discover.
I find the character of Menshiki very intriguing. It is complex,mysterious and at the same time feels very real. One cannot help being drawn to his character although he is not the protagonist. This complexity of Menshiki’s character is captured in the experimental portrait by the protagonist.
Man in the white Castle
Menshiki lives in the mountains of Odawara, Japan. It is about an hour’s drive from Tokyo. His house is on a mountain slope. It is more of a mansion rather than a house. It is white, huge and well kept. Menshiki lives alone in the mansion and prefers this way of living.
He has a large piano in his house which he plays on occasion. There is a tennis court, a fully equipped gym too. He is extremely meticulous and everything in his house reflects this aspect.
Bio-Data
Menshiki was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. He is 54 years old and prefers Soba noodles over Udon.
Menshiki is five feet seven inches tall. He is left-handed. He works out regularly and it shows. He is strong and athletic. People may easily believe that he is under forty. One striking feature that may come in the way of Menshiki in passing off as a younger person is the colour of his hair. His hair is white, slightly curly and thick. White as the virgin snow.
Mannerisms and Personality
He is always impeccably dressed. Well mannered. Listens to classical music, has a special love for Der Rosen kavalier . He loves to read and has a huge collection of books. His way of speaking is courteous and purposeful.
Menshiki is a curious person. His curiosity is higher than average and goes to large extents in its pursuit. He sat buried in a pit in the woods for an hour just to know how it feels.
He is not religious and has no particular faith in Buddhism, but is curious to learn about it though. When young, he traveled alone to several temples to see mummified Buddhist priests.
A man like Menshiki stops at nothing to get what he wants in life. His approach to life is — if you don’t understand something , then stick with it until you do. His power of will is displayed when he defiantly spends over a year in solitary confinement for an economic offense brought about by his partner. He was found to be innocent but he had to go through the ordeal nevertheless. This only strengthened his already strong will.
Loves British Cars
Cars in general make a big presence in this novel. See this article about all the various cars mentioned in the novel.
Wataru Menshiki loves cars. Cars of British heritage to be specific and has several of those in his collection. He owns a Silver Jaguar Sports Coupe, a Jaguar convertible, a range rover and a mini cooper. It is only expected that his cars are well maintained and in top condition.
Love and Personal Life
Menshiki is a very private person. He never married and has no interest in lineage or relatives. He needs solitary time every day to concentrate and cannot afford to stand anybody intruding upon it. This is also one of the reasons not to marry.
But, things are not so black and white. He has his own approach to love and relationships.
He knew a woman fifteen years ago. They went out on dates and she used to stay over at his place and even kept a set of clothes at his place. Although they were quite close, Menshiki made it clear that he had no intention to marry her.
One afternoon she comes over to his office and seduces him into passionate love making with no protection. After this incident the woman ghosts him. Menshiki comes to learn much later that she went on to marry someone else and that after about nine months of their last meeting she gave birth to a girl child.
A change in course
Wataru Menshiki moved on with his life after the relationship with the woman ended. But, circumstances changed in a way that made him reconnect with his past. About seven years ago she died of a freak accident. The woman had a premonition of dying young and had instructed her lawyers to send a handwritten letter to Menshiki in the event of her death. In that letter she hints to Menshiki about his essence living on.
For Love, but reluctant to admit
Three years ago, he found out where his presumed daughter Mariye lived and bought a house overlooking her’s. He had to literally evict the existing residents to buy that house. He observes her from a distance using high powered binoculars.
It is around this time, the protagonist, the painter enters the scene. Menshiki masterfully uses the painter but not in a distasteful manner to get closer to his presumed daughter Mariye.
He could find out if Mariye indeed was his daughter if he wanted to, given his means and strength of will,but he would rather live in the possibility rather than in the certainty.
He cares about Mariye but is careful not to make it seem obvious. Through a turn of events he comes to date Mariye’s aunt Shoko.
Although meticulous and calculative, he does have a tender love for his ex-girlfriend and keeps her clothes well taken care of in a room in his mansion. His presumed daughter Mariye discovers these clothes in his house without knowing that they belonged to her mother.
He is not afraid to love someone, what he is afraid of is to eventually grow to hate them.
Wataru Menshiki and Post FIRE life
I think the reason I was drawn to the character of Menshiki is the fact that he is sort of a model for a post FIRE lifestyle. Of Course Haruki Murakami does not use the word FIRE in the novel but the description precisely matches that of a person who has achieved Financial Independence and Retired Early. Based on the description in the Novel, I would say Mr Wataru Menshiki has Fat FIRED.
Presently, Menshiki is officially unemployed but dabbles in stocks and currency trading as a hobby rather than as a source of income. Previously he had founded and run a tech company and later sold it off. He lives off of the proceeds from that sale.
Menshiki balances a disciplined lifestyle with refined tastes like hiring a butler for a fine meal with a guest. Personally, I admire his dedication to keeping himself physically and mentally fit. This could be a fine model and a takeaway for people who pursue FIRE.
HappypathFIRE!