Tokyo Ueno Station

One of Kazu’s friends, Shige, is a fellow unhoused person. In the novel’s present, Shige is also dead. What Kazu says about Shige happens in recollections about the past. Kazu holds Shige in high esteem, repeatedly mentioning Shige’s good qualities, like his kindness and intelligence.

Of all the characters in the book, only Kazu has more to say, and among the characters and people who appear in the novel, Shige is given the most space. Much of what Shige says reveals him to be a highly intelligent and informed citizen of the history of his nation. He is a wealth of knowledge and speaks spontaneously about history and the stories behind some of the statues and artifacts in Ueno Park. Kazu mentions that while he could not say for certain, he thought that Shige may have been a teacher prior to becoming unhoused.

When he was alive, Shige had a stray cat as a pet. The cat, named Emile, was a prized companion, and Shige sacrificed food in order to feed the cat. The circumstances that led to Shige becoming unhoused are only hinted at in the novel: Shige did something that he deemed dishonorable, and he viewed his actions as bringing disgrace to his wife and son. The details are never made clear, as Kazu leaves Shige’s hut before he can learn more, uncomfortable with the thought of having to share his own secrets and feelings.

After his wife passes away, Kazu goes to live with his granddaughter, Mari. Mari is an affectionate and caring individual and treats her responsibility of looking after her grandfather with much regard. Kazu briefly chronicles the time that he spent living with Mari, and while his love for Mari is evident, so is his pride. Feeling himself a burden to Mari, Kazu eventually disappears from her home, which is how he ends up in Ueno Park.

The novel’s final scene involves Mari. She is caught up in the flood caused by the tsunami. Her car is swept out to sea, where it sinks, and she drowns. She has her dog, a dachshund named Kotaro, with her in the car as it sinks. It is implied that she could have saved herself, but during her escape to higher ground, she stopped to save another dog that was chained up. In the time that it took her to rescue the dog, the wave from the tsunami had quickly approached. When seconds critically mattered, her decision to save the dog ultimately cost her life.

Setsuko is Kazu’s wife. Her role in the novel is limited; she appears most directly in the scene that details the death of her son, Koichi. Because Kazu was away working most of the time, Setsuko was effectively a single mother, and she raised their two children by herself. Kazu has a high regard for his wife, but his relationship with her is strained by distance, much like his relationships with his son and daughter. Setsuko lived a life in service to others; this was the primary mission of her life. One of her last appearances happens late in the book, when Kazu remembers that she and his daughter gave him a watch purely as a gift.

Setsuko dies a premature death, and Kazu sees her death as an injustice. He has a very difficult time coming to terms with her passing. She died in her sleep and was discovered by Kazu, who awakened next to her body. Kazu blames himself for her death—he claims that he essentially killed her himself, as he did not wake up and realize she needed help. This guilt and grief compounds with the effects of Koichi’s loss, drastically affecting Kazu’s mental health.