The Love Hotel

The love hotel that Keiko brings Komura to in "UFO in Kushiro" is intentionally framed as being derelict, run-down, and far from the center of the city. The relatively provincial location is symbolic of the isolation that Komura is feeling both from the world and from himself, as he is unable to explore his own grief or emote at all. It is also meant to signal the emptiness of the interactions Komura is having in the wake of his relationship's failure; even though Komura and Shimao do not have sex, and even though Komura does not appear to be intending to sleep with either Keiko or Shimao, the hotel, which is used primarily for prostitution, has an implicit association with purchased relationships outside the sanctity of marriage. Therefore, even though no real prostitution occurs, the setting underscores the loneliness that Komura feels and his desire for...