'I was a terrible student,' Japanese author Haruki Murakami tells alma mater

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami attending a press conference during a media preview of The Waseda International House of Literature, also known as Haruki Murakami Library, in 2021Publicity-shy Japanese author Haruki Murakami told his alma mater Tuesday that he was far from being a model scholar, as he collected an honorary degree in a rare public appearance. — Photo: Philip FONG / AFP

Publicity-shy Japanese author Haruki Murakami told his alma mater Tuesday that he was far from being a model scholar, as he collected an honorary degree in a rare public appearance.

"It feels kind of strange being given the award, considering what a terrible student I was," said Murakami to laughter from the audience at Waseda University.