Summary

“An Independent Organ” starts with the narrator, Tanimura, saying that he had not met many people who lived “artificial” (77) lives, but Dr. Tokai was one such person. Tanimura then goes on to state that his mission is to describe the life and character of Dr. Tokai.

Tokai was a bachelor and a successful plastic surgeon who never wanted to get married. He only dated women who were married or had serious boyfriends to avoid emotional situations, but he was a good person. Tokai had a male secretary, Goto, who managed his business and his social calendar, and Tokai had never been caught by a jealous husband.

One day, when he was fifty-two, Tokai, who worked out at the gym with Tanimura, told Tanimura that he had fallen in love with a woman who was almost twenty years younger than he was. She...