The isolation felt by the characters in Kafka on the Shore mirrors the general isolationism of Japanese society. Kafka isolates himself from everyone, choosing solitary pursuits such as working out, reading, and listening to music. He has no mother, no sister, and, for all intents and purposes, no father. His only real friend, the boy named Crow, is his alter ego. Oshima is mysteriously private about his personal life. He converses freely with Kafka on a number of philosophical and literary topics, but he falls silent when questioned about private matters. Miss Saeki's twenty-five year disappearance is an extreme sort of isolationism, one that lessens only slightly after her return home.

The isolationism apparent in Japanese society can be traced to the homogeneity of the culture as well as the fact that it is an island country. Having been isolated for thousands of years, the Japanese live...