Part I, Chapter 1, Aomame Summary

It is 1984. Aomame is in a taxi on a way to meeting a client in Shibuya, enjoying the classical music on the radio station it is tuned in to. Janacek's "Sinfonietta" is playing. Aomame loves sports, history, and dates, and has little patience for fiction. Her name means "green peas". She notices how beautifully and clearly the music comes in, and comments on the fact to the driver. She and the driver are stuck in traffic, which the driver blames on an accident without hearing a radio report. The driver explains that Aomame cannot trust the Expressway Corporation's radio reports, for it only reports on things beneficial to its operations.

The driver suggests Aomame use an emergency stairway off the elevated highway to get to the subway to get to her meeting. The taxi driver cautions her...