Shobashi

Shobashi is the neighborhood in Osaka where Natsuko lived as a child and teenager, both before and after her mother and grandmother died of cancer. Makiko still works in a Shobashi bar as a hostess. The neighborhood is central to the plot as it is frequently mentioned and Natsuko travels there towards the end of the novel at a pivotal time in her life. Shobashi presents a counterpoint to Natsuko’s life in Tokyo, where she often feels a sense of alienation from herself and her previous life.

Natsuko's Apartment(s)

While Natsuko has two apartments throughout the course of the novel, they are both located in Tokyo and she comments that they have the same floor plan. In general, locations in the novel are not described in great detail, so Natsuko’s two residences blend together between Book One and Book Two. In Book One, her apartment...