Murakami's Protagonists and his Portrayal of Women

Murakami's portrayal of women is definitely a source of debate among critics and readers alike. In doing some research on this topic, I found that Murakami himself has said he does not consciously try and change the way he writes about women. In one interview, Murakami explains: "I just make an effort not to write anything into my stories that would hurt or show contempt for someone because they’re male or female."

Having read only a little Murakami, I can definitely see why readers find his portrayal problematic. At the same time, I also don't really see this as a moral statement. In fact, I'd also argue that his male protagonists aren't especially complex characters either. This effect is obvious, to me, in A Wild Sheep Chase as the narrator seems to just be going through the motions rather than undergoing any meaningful development — and my impression is that this isn't really Murakami's style. Having read Norwegian Wood as well, we see a similar phenomenon in Toru (I won't spoil it since we will be reading it). 

TL;DR it just seems to me that Murakami isn't especially focusing on the psychological development of the characters. Rather, I think he is more trying to craft a mood or some type of feeling— whether it be a sense of alienation or loneliness in the narrator, or a feeling of surreality in his imagery and depictions of society. What do y'all think? Again, my reading of Murakami is far from exhaustive so I am recognizing that my impressions may change as we progress. 

Link to Murakami Interview:  https://lithub.com/haruki-murakami-has-never-thought-about-changing-the-way-he-writes-female-characters

- Max S.