Summary

In Chapter 9, “Hiruko Speaks (Three)” (187), Hiruko entered the restaurant and saw Susanoo. The word “natsukashii” (187) came to mind. She introduced herself but Susanoo did not reply. She reflected on the fact that “the whole idea of a mother tongue no longer seemed to matter” (188). She told Susanoo that she knew he grew up in Fukui Prefrecture. She asked him if he remembered a story about a crane who turned into a woman and asked a young man to marry her. After they married, she turned back into a crane, plucked out her feathers, and used a loom to weave them into a beautiful cloth. Susanoo seemed to flinch at the word “loom” (192). Hiruko said that she felt like she had not aged since arriving in Europe. She asked Susanoo if he had heard from anyone in their home country, explaining that people in...