Summary

The novel begins with main character Kazu Mori hearing a sound that he recognizes but cannot place. He says that “life is nothing like a story in a book” (1) because there is no end to it and that he did not live his life “with intent” (2). Kazu is in Tokyo in Ueno Imperial Gift Park, which is always a hub of activity due to the proximity of the Ueno train station. He continues to hear the sound and remembers how unlucky he was in life. Kazu recalls growing up one of eight children in the village of Sōma in Fukushima Prefecture as he watches the homeless denizens of Ueno Park go about their business. He notes that when he lived among them, it was never difficult to find free food. It begins to rain. Kazu watches two older women walking through the...