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1. How is the protagonist of the novel introduced in Chapter 1? What is he obsessed with in the beginning of the narrative?

The story begins with an unnamed protagonist thinking about his stay at the Dolphin Hotel in Sapporo. The hotel was a dive, but the man cannot seem to get it out of his mind. Part of the reason for that was an extended stay with a call girl whose name he did not know. In fact, he knew almost nothing about her.

2. How does the narrator describe the Dolphin Hotel in Chapter 1?

The narrator details the Dolphin Hotel in all its shabby glory. First of all, it was built in the wrong place. It lacked a sense of "normalness" in general. The furniture was rickety and old. There were few if any customers. It seemed as if the hotel was in The Land That Time Forgot. In fact, the hotel could be considered tragic.

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