Reddit mentions of Coin Locker Babies

Korea-Young-Ha Kim

Japan:

Kawabata Yasunari

Murakami Ryu (I assume you meant no Murakami HARUKI, yes?)

Banana Yoshimoto

a truly terrific collection of Japanese short fiction: Monkey Brain Sushi, edited by the brilliant translator Alfred Birnbaum

Others have suggested Haruki Murakami, but if he digs cult fiction then have him read the other great Murakami, Ryu Murakami. Coin Locker Babies and Almost Transparent Blue are his absolute best. Kobo Abe was also mentioned and I recommend his novel The Box Man. Then there is the whole realm of bizarro fiction like my favorite Satan Burger. From the recommendations I've seen here, you should have a damn fine list to give him.

I read Coin Locker Babies and I recall it being pretty wild.

Try Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami. It's a lesser-known book, one of my all-time favorites, and surreal without being pretentious. I don't know if I'd call the prose traditionally beautiful, but it's definitely evocative and memorable.

Oh, and try Smoke and Mirrors, one of Neil Gaiman's short story collections. The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories is one of the most gorgeous pieces of fiction I've ever read, and plenty of the others come close.