“The clock hands move, but time does not.”
Chapter 1: Midnight in Tokyo
The novel opens in the late-night hours of Tokyo, where Mari Asai sits alone in a Denny’s restaurant, reading a book. She is approached by Takahashi, a jazz musician she vaguely remembers from her sister Eri’s social circle. Their conversation is awkward yet revealing, touching on Mari’s estrangement from Eri and Takahashi’s nocturnal lifestyle.
Chapter 2: The Love Hotel
Mari is drawn into an unexpected situation when a former wrestler-turned-hotel-manager, Kaoru, asks for her help translating for a Chinese prostitute, Korogi, who has been assaulted by a client. The eerie, transient atmosphere of the Alphaville love hotel becomes a microcosm of Tokyo’s hidden underbelly.
Chapter 3: The Sleeping Beauty
Meanwhile, Mari’s sister Eri lies in a deep, unnatural sleep in her apartment. A mysterious, faceless man appears on her television screen, watching her. The surreal imagery suggests a dissociation from reality, blurring the line between dreams and waking life.
Chapter 4: The Nocturnal Journey
Takahashi returns to the narrative, sharing his philosophical musings on time and existence with Mari. Their bond deepens as they wander through the city’s empty streets, encountering fleeting characters—a trombonist, a hotel maid—each carrying their own burdens of loneliness and longing.
Chapter 5: The Breaking Dawn
As morning approaches, Mari and Takahashi part ways, their connection unresolved but meaningful. Eri remains asleep, her fate ambiguous. The novel closes with Tokyo stirring to life, its nocturnal secrets fading into daylight, leaving the characters—and readers—with lingering questions about isolation, connection, and the passage of time.
Key ideas
- Surrealism blending dreams and reality
- Urban isolation in a hyperconnected world
- The transient nature of human connections
- Time as a fluid, subjective construct
- The hidden underbelly of nocturnal city life
Who should read this book?
- Fans of Murakami’s dreamlike, introspective style
- Readers drawn to urban loneliness and existential themes
- Those who enjoy nonlinear narratives and surreal imagery