In recent years Murakami Ryu has received much attention for his uncanny knack of writing novels taking up themes, such as teen crime and hikikomori (withdrawing from the world and shutting oneself up in one's room), just before they come to public awareness as social problems. Now Murakami's new novel "Kibo no Kuni no Exodus," although an entertaining story, seriously examines education, the family and the media in the new age of globalization.

"Exodus" starts in the year 2001. A Japanese youth appears on CNN with a rifle in Pakistan and says, "There's nothing in Japan. That's a dead country." Inspired by his example, middle-school students throughout Japan stop going to school en masse and organize through the Internet. Under the leadership of the youth, Pon-chan, they form a news agency, Asunaro, sending images worldwide, and start various other moneymaking ventures.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government embarks on building a yen block in Asia in an effort to get out of recession, but the yen collapses and the country is close to bankruptcy. At this time of national crisis Pon-chan is asked to testify at the Diet, and says that if 800,000 students stop going to school there are 800,000 different reasons for that, not just one reason for everyone. He says that you can find everything in Japan but hope (kibo).