A Spatial Analysis of ’s After Dark (ODA)

A Spatial Analysis of Haruki Murakami’s After Dark: The City at Night as a Place to Encounter “Darkness”1)

Masayasu ODA*

Abstract This article analyzes Haruki Murakami’s After Dark mainly from a spatial perspective. The colors of the characters’ clothes and belongings both distinctly correlate with each character’s personality, and there are similarities between Eri and the Chinese prostitute as well as commonalities between the colors (i.e., per- sonalities) of Shirakawa and Mari. I infer that the primary location of the novel is not the real , but a fictional place reminiscent of Shibuya (I refer to it as “Shibuya”). Moreover, by visualizing locations such as the character’s homes on a map, I clarify how the characters’ personalities are revealed in the dis- tances between their homes and “Shibuya” as well as their directionalities from “Shibuya.” I also discuss the locations of places in “Shibuya” and visualize their supposed positions on a map. Lastly, I consider the encounter with darkness, taking the contact with the Chinese gang as a clue, explaining that the world of darkness can be encountered anywhere—rather than tied to specific places—and that the city at night as a whole is framed as an otherworld. Keywords: Haruki Murakami, After Dark, space, color, city, literary geography

at night, and its concrete depictions of I. Introduction the city3) make possible a geographical analysis. For the purposes of this article, Haruki Murakami’s After Dark is a story I analyze the setting of After Dark from that takes place over a few late-night hours a spatial perspective and think about the and features female university student encounter with “darkness” as it happens in Mari Asai as she meets different people the city at night.4) in the city at night. It was published as There have been several studies and a tankōbon by Kodansha in September critiques of After Dark.5) kurenai- 2004 (Murakami 2004) and as a bunkobon, dan (2004), a Tokyo literary walk website, also by Kodansha, in September 2006 deserves attention because of its attempt (Murakami 2006).2) An English translation to identify the real locations of places in was released in 2007 (Murakami 2007) the novel. Urazumi (2000) actually took and the novel has also been translated walks in the locations featured in Haruki into German, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Murakami’s works as part of his analysis, other languages. but since the study is from 2000 it does I have been interested in the treatment not cover the then-unpublished After of literary works from the perspective of Dark. However, I will refer to his discus- geography for some time and have also sion of “contact with the otherworld” in surveyed the trends in literary geography Murakami’s works (Urazumi 2000: 82– (Oda 1997). After Dark is set in the city 86). Moreover, while Matsumoto (2010)

* Professor, Department of Geography, Komazawa University, Tokyo

― 1 ― Regional Views No. 30 2017 appraises Murakami’s works as “urban three years (p. 225=E. p. 150). Since “the novels,” he does not deal with the city as a Kobe earthquake” likely refers to the 1995 space and discusses After Dark only brief- Great Hanshin earthquake, this supports ly. He does make the point that Murakami my argument.6) writes about “the hidden side of the city The season is “late autumn” (p. 5 and or the city’s darkness” (Matsumoto 2010: p. 166=E. p. 4 and E. p. 111). Since the 132). Kamiyama (2008) discusses spa- narrative says, “The trees have dropped tial aspects of Murakami’s works from a thick layer of dead leaves that hide the perspective of graphic science. She much of the ground” (p. 166=E. p. 111), mentions four spatial characteristics of it is probably late November or early Murakami’s works, of which the fourth December. Moreover, Takahashi says that is that “he depicts a spatial world that the sky gets bright around 6:40 a.m. this cannot be imagined as real, that is, an time of year (p. 265=E. p. 175). Since the otherworld.” Moreover, she discusses sunrise time in Tokyo becomes 6:40 a.m. three works—including After Dark—and no earlier than December 10,7) it is likely examines where in the narrative space the that Murakami was thinking of that time of otherworld is located by using the methods the year. However, the text also says that of graphic science. However, her interest it is “Time for the Christmas retail wars to is focused on the relation between Eri’s begin” (p. 251=E. p. 166), making the date apartment (real world) and the room inside after the middle of December improbable. the TV screen (otherworld), and she does Additionally, although it is not a refer- not analyze the real urban space. ence to the actual season, the name of the Furthermore, it would appear that young Chinese prostitute Guo Dongli con- Murakami himself is unconcerned with tains the character for “winter” (p. 64=E. the word “space” (kūkan). In the novel, it p. 44), which is pronounced as “dong” is used only three times: “space above the in Chinese, symbolically expressing her table” (p. 23 and p. 141=E. p. 16 and E. p. plight of having to prostitute herself.8) 94) and “an uncolored space like a pure The time is indicated by the arms of an abstract idea” (p. 158=E. p. 106), although analog clock at the beginning and in the in the English translation “space” is also middle of all eighteen chapters. At the used for other Japanese words. Thus, it beginning of chapter one, it is 11:56 p.m., would be difficult to approach the spatial and the text also says, “The date is just aspects of After Dark from Murakami’s us- about to change” (p. 5=E. p. 4). The last age of the word “space” (kūkan). Instead, I indication of time is made in chapter eigh- will base my study on the various physical teen, where it is given as 6:52 a.m. The settings of the story. story unfolds over the course of not quite seven hours. II. The Time Setting and the Characters 2. The Characters and Color 1. The Time Setting Next, I will discuss the main characters There are no real references in the text in terms of their “colors” (i.e., the colors to the period, and Murakami himself has of their clothes and belongings). When said that “it doesn’t really matter what pe- analyzing this novel from a geographical riod it is” (Murakami 2005: 177), but it is perspective, it would make sense to ex- likely that the story is set not long before amine the cityscape as well as the urban September 2004, the date of its publica- space. However, the urban landscape is tion. One of the characters, Kōrogi, had not depicted in any detail.9) Yet, a broad been working in an office “around the definition of “landscape” can include the time of the Kobe earthquake” (p. 226=E. colors of characters’ clothes and belong- p. 150) and has now been on the run for ings, making them suitable for analysis

― 2 ― A Spatial Analysis of Haruki Murakami’s After Dark (ODA) here and increasing the amount of analyz- brown work boots (p. 8=E. p. 6). He wears able contents. a green crew-neck sweater under the coat Mari Asai is the main character of (p. 14=E. p. 10) and an orange Swatch (p. the novel and studies Chinese at the 123=E. p. 82). He does wear a black coat University of Foreign Studies (p. 76=E. and carry a black instrument case (p. 8=E. p. 52). She is nineteen years old (p. 64, p. p. 6), but it is his green clothes that stand 76, and p. 287=E. p. 44, E. p. 52, and E. out. As I will elaborate, green and orange p. 190) and in her first year of university appear to signify a personality that comes (p. 269=E. p. 178). She is in a few days to Mari’s rescue or help. going to China to study there (p. 269=E. Eri Asai is Mari’s two-years-older sister p. 178). Mari has a feminine red notebook (p. 231=E. p. 153), a twenty-one-year-old (p. 271=E. p. 179), but dresses plainly, college student (p. 235=E. p. 156) who keeping her black hair short and wearing has been modeling for magazines since a navy blue baseball cap, black-rimmed junior high (p. 79=E. p. 54). For the past glasses, a hooded gray parka under a var- two months, she has been sleeping con- sity jacket, and blue jeans, together with tinuously (p. 231=E. p. 153). Her room is a brown leather shoulder bag (p. 6=E. sparsely decorated and does not look like pp. 4–5). This might partially be to make that of a young girl (p. 37=E. p. 25). As for herself look like a boy (p. 74=E. p. 51), colors, the room is described as a “black- besides being common to “a little genius” and-white” world, containing “a simple or “a respectable sort of girl” (p. 79 and black [desk] lamp” (p. 37=E. p. 26), “a p. 80=E. p. 54). Yet her internal crisis is perfectly square black Sony” TV (p. 39=E. suggested by her wearing faded “yellow p. 27), and plain bed sheets that are pure sneakers” (p. 6=E. p. 4). The expression white (pp. 37–38=E. p. 26). Takahashi “yellow sneakers” appears three times in says metaphorically that Eri might be suf- the novel (p. 6, p. 188, and p. 276=E. p. 4, fering “in some other Alphaville kind of E. p. 124 and E. p. 182), revealing it as a place” (p. 187=E. p. 124), and if that is conscious choice by Murakami. At dawn, the world of the black-and-white movie she checks to see if her yellow sneakers Alphaville, then it would fit the colors of are still clean (p. 276=E. p. 182), symbol- her room perfectly. Furthermore, Eri her- izing that the night’s adventure had ended self is described as “black and white.” Her safely. Toward the end, the mention of the “black” hair spreads over the pillow (p. “white socks” when sleeping with a look 35, p. 73, p. 255, and p. 287=E. p. 24, E. of relief (p. 262=E. p. 166) and the “white p. 50, E. p. 168, and E. p. 190), her slender T-shirt” that she wears beneath her other neck and hands are “white” (p. 36 and p. clothes (p. 278=E. p. 184) can be seen as 155=E. p. 25 and E. p. 104), and she is proof that she has not been invaded by the as beautiful as “Snow White” (p. 79, p. world of darkness. 169, and p. 185=E. p.54, E. p. 112 and E. Tetsuya Takahashi studies law (p. p. 122). Even so, there is no life in her. 133=E. p. 88) and plays the trombone in If “white” is suggestive of Eri, then the a band (p. 28=E. p. 19). He is not plan- “white kitten” that Mari feeds on her lap ning to get a job straightaway, but wants in the park (p. 167=E. p. 111) and whose to take the national bar exam (p. 133=E. p. warmth she feels in her hands (p. 173=E. 88). He was in the same class as Eri Asai, p. 115) can be read as hinting at Eri. When Mari’s sister, for a year in high school Eri awakens in the imaginary world, she (p. 18=E. p. 12) and met Mari at a hotel is wearing plain “blue” pajamas of glossy swimming pool two years ago (p. 14=E. p. material (pp. 157–158=E. p. 106),10) which 10). He has three long conversations with gives a feeling of tranquility. The “red col- Mari in the story. Takahashi wears a short or” of the Bloody Mary that Eri was drink- black leather coat, olive-green pants, and ing when she met Takahashi in April (p.

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174=E. p. 116)11) evokes the images of Eri at the office is white (p. 190=E. p. 126), as she suffers “bleeding invisible blood” what he eats when he comes home is plain (p. 187=E. p. 124) and of the Chinese yoghurt (p. 220=E. p. 146), and even prostitute “stripped naked and bloody” (p. his name is Shirakawa (lit. white river), 186=E. p. 123).12) making “white” another theme color. Kaoru is the manager of the “love ho- Shimizu (2006: 219–220) points out that tel” Alphaville (p. 49=E. p. 34). For a Shirakawa’s lack of deep emotion makes long time, she was a professional wres- him seem like a character from the black- tler (p. 85=E. p. 57). Takahashi worked and-white movie Alphaville, and this as- part-time at the hotel for almost half a pect of his personality is further suggested year (p. 146=E. p. 97). She and Mari talk by the various uses of gray and white as- at the bar, just the two of them. Kaoru’s sociated with him. blonde hair is eye-catching but short, and Shimizu (2006: 222) also argues, based she wears a black woolen hat on top. She on the afterimage in the mirror, that wears a leather jacket and orange pants Shirakawa’s duality is something he has (pp. 44–45=E. p. 31). She has a red scor- in common with Mari. Murakami (2005: pion tattoo from her wrestling days on her 181) himself says, “I don’t think of shoulder (p. 85=E. p. 57). She gives off the Shirakawa as pure evil. He certainly has showy aura appropriate for someone who something extremely dangerous inside works at a love hotel, but she also seems of himself, but in a sense a problem that dependable. almost everyone faces has only been am- Kōrogi has worked at the Alphaville ho- plified.”13) He depicts Mari as a smoker (p. tel for nearly a year and a half (p. 223=E. 81=E. p. 55), not as a pure and innocent p. 149). After graduating high school, she girl, suggesting the commonality between worked at a company office (p. 226=E. Shirakawa and Mari (and other people). p. 150), but because of a small incident The colors associated with Shirakawa she has been on the run for almost three and Mari are not entirely unrelated. years now (p. 225=E. p. 150). She talks to Specifically, they both wear a combina- Mari about life in one of the hotel rooms. tion of gray and dark [navy] blue clothes, Kōrogi’s hair is black (p. 51=E. p. 35), and and they both carry a brown leather bag. nothing like Kaoru’s blonde and Komugi’s Mari wears white underclothes, and one dyed bright-red hair (p. 50 and p. 51=E. p. of Shirakawa’s theme colors is white. 35) although they work at the same hotel. Moreover, when Shirakawa comes home, The black hair probably represents the fact he gets a Perrier bottle from the fridge and that she once had a respectable job. drinks from it (p. 251=E. p. 165), just like Shirakawa works night shifts at an IT Mari, who drinks a glass of Perrier with company and calls the Chinese prostitute lime juice at the bar (p. 75=E. p. 52). to the Alphaville hotel, where he beats her That Perrier bottle is “green” (p. 251=E. up. Aside from the Chinese prostitute, he p. 165). Shirakawa cools the pain in his does not come into direct contact with the hands with the “green” Perrier bottle. other major characters. Shirakawa car- Mari, having gone into the urban night ries a brown briefcase (p. 193=E. p. 128) with her troubles, has a candid talk with and wears a light gray trench coat (p. 100 Kaoru while drinking her glass of Perrier and p. 196=E. p. 67 and E. p. 130), a light and also has a conversation with Takahashi gray shirt, a dark blue paisley necktie (p. in his “green” outfit. The Chinese prosti- 191=E. p. 126), and wire-frame glasses tute, having been stripped of everything (p. 100=E. p. 67). He uses a silver pencil by Shirakawa, is handed a “green” jersey (p. 115 and p. 192=E. p. 76 and E. p. 127), by Kaoru (p. 59=E. p. 41). “Green” can be making “gray” and “silver” his theme said to symbolize rescue or help. colors. Moreover, the face towel he uses The Chinese prostitute Guo Dongli is

― 4 ― A Spatial Analysis of Haruki Murakami’s After Dark (ODA) beaten up by Shirakawa at the Alphaville each person’s personality. They also em- hotel and is looked after by Kaoru and phasize the similarities between Eri and Mari. Her clothes, which Shirakawa steals, the Chinese prostitute as well as the com- include a thin cream-colored coat, a deep- monalities between Shirakawa and Mari, pink crewneck sweater, an embroidered despite their seeming to be opposites at white blouse, a tight blue miniskirt, black first glance. pantyhose, red low-heeled shoes, and in- tensely pink underwear, as well as a black III. Place fake-leather purse and a brown leather wallet (pp. 193–194=E. p. 128–129). The 1. Where the Novel Is Set and Its gaudy colors red and pink are typical of a Directionalities prostitute. The “cream-color” of the coat Next, I will examine the physical set- is also the color of the lowered window ting. Aside from Eri’s room where she is shade in Eri’s room (p. 286=E. p. 190). sleeping, After Dark seems to be entirely Along with her long black hair (p. 54=E. set near Shibuya Station of Tōkyū Tōyoko p. 37), this demonstrates the similarities Line and the JR line. This is supported by between Eri and the Chinese prostitute. the description of the “express train” that Moreover, it should be pointed out that Mari takes in the morning to go back home blue jeans (Mari), blue pajamas (Eri), and to Hiyoshi while Takahashi “heads for his a blue skirt (Chinese prostitute) make for own [the JR] station” (p. 276=E. p. 182, a common denominator for those three the English translation is insufficient).14) women (although both Komugi and the Even so, Murakami (2005: 177) himself Chinese gang member also wear blue says that “the area where the novel is set is jeans). a fictional area” and that “People often ask The Chinese gang member is the me if it’s in Shibuya or in Shinjuku, but, Chinese prostitute’s supervisor. He only put simply, it’s in Alphaville.” Why did appears in two conversation scenes, but Murakami refrain from indicating that it is also seen twice in his motorcycle outfit is Shibuya? I conjecture that he wanted to and is twice heard at the other end of a avoid the various images that are associat- cell phone. His hair is brown, but “black” ed with the real Shibuya.15) He might also is depicted as his theme color. He wears have wanted to keep readers from identify- a black leather jacket and blue jeans (p. ing in-story family restaurants and conve- 64=E. p. 44) and rides a pitch-black mo- nience stores with actually existing places, torcycle (p. 145 and p. 200=E. p. 97 and which might give a false impression. E. p. 133). As such, he is shown to be a In fact, my assumption that the novel person living in the world of darkness. is set in Shibuya is based on the station Moreover, the cell phone from which scene in Chapter 17, near the end of the his voice is heard—originally that of the story. Before that, I could only guess that Chinese prostitute—is “silver” (p. 199 it was set somewhere in downtown Tokyo, and p. 256=E. p. 132 and E. p. 169) and is judging from fragmentary place names cold from having been in a cooler of the like Shinagawa, Hiyoshi, and Kōenji. store for a long time (p. 257=E. p. 170), Moreover, even if it is set in Shibuya, symbolizing the cool-headedness of the there is no way of accurately matching Chinese gang. Furthermore, “black” color in-story places with actual places. Tokyo is also used for the car on the street that kurenai-dan (2004) identifies the family is likened to a deep-sea creature, depicted restaurants, the convenience store, and the as a “black station wagon” with “black park that appear, but I am left with some tinted” windows (p. 4=E. p. 4). doubts. It is possible to think that the love The colors of the characters’ clothes and hotel—a major location in the story—was belongings differ considerably and reflect created with the actual Maruyama-chō

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Figure 1 The location of place names in After Dark love hotel district in mind, but there is no Hiyoshi (p. 27=E. p. 19), Takahashi in mention of a hotel district in the novel and Kōenji (p. 28=E. p. 19), Kaoru in Yoyogi no other love hotels appear. As for the sta- (p. 87, no mention in the translation17)), tion itself, if we would leave out the men- and Shirakawa in Tetsugakudō (p. 197=E. tion of Hiyoshi as the destination, the fact p. 130).18) The addresses of Kōrogi and that Takahashi is making his way to the the Chinese gang are not given. However, JR station—rather than the JR fare gate— after the scene where Shirakawa’s taxi and could be interpreted as meaning that he is the Chinese man’s motorcycle line up next moving from the Seibu Shinjuku Station to to each other as they stop for a red light at the JR Shinjuku Station. In fact, Takahashi a big intersection, the motorcycle keeps gets on the Chūō Line at Shinjuku (p. going straight while the taxi takes a left 263=E. p. 174). Seen from this angle, it turn (pp. 200–201=E. p. 133), leading me could be said that After Dark is set in a to think that the Chinese gang is based to fictional area that merges Shibuya and the north. Moreover, since the man arrives Shinjuku.16) Henceforth, I will refer to the at the Alphaville hotel ten minutes after location as “Shibuya,” taken to mean a fic- the phone call (p. 109=E. p. 72), their base tional area based on Shibuya. is probably a few miles away. Among the place names that actually If we visualize the locations on a map, appear in the text, we have the characters’ it looks like Figure 1. I made “Shibuya” home addresses. Mari and Eri live in take the location of Shibuya. Apparently

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Hiyoshi—“where [Mari] belongs” bolizing how Takahashi was influenced by (p. 286=E. p. 190)—is far away from the trial. “Shibuya” and the homes of the “night Furthermore, there is Shinagawa, a place people” (p. 286=E. p. 190) are close. To that had brought together Mari, Eri, and Mari, “Shibuya” is “Someplace different Takahashi once before. Two years ago, the [than usual]” and “someplace outside [her three had gone to the same pool at a hotel own] territory” (p. 268=E. p. 177). in Shinagawa (p. 14=E. p. 10). Shinagawa In addition to distances, we should is almost equidistant from Mari and Eri’s also note differences in the characters’ home in Hiyoshi and Takahashi’s Kōenji. directionality. Specifically, Mari is- lo It seems that areas relevant to cated to the south-southwest of “Shibuya,” Takahashi’s past lies to the east of Takahashi to the northwest, Shirakawa to “Shibuya.” This is true of both Shinagawa, the north-northwest, Kaoru to the imme- and the Tokyo District Court in diate north, and the Chinese gang a few Kasumigaseki, which Takahashi visited miles north.19) Kaoru lives in an apartment between April and June half a year ago in Yoyogi, immediately to the north of (p. 135=E. p. 90), as well as his home in “Shibuya,” but “I spend more nights in the Shitamachi, the old working-class area hotel’s back room and just start work when (presumably in eastern Tokyo), where he I get up” (p. 87=E. p. 59), meaning that lived by himself at age seven (p. 208=E. “Shibuya” could be considered her terri- p. 138). tory. Moreover, Mari is located farthest away from the Chinese gang. 2. Places in “Shibuya” Another place name relevant to Mari is Next, I will examine the locations with- Yokohama. She attended a Chinese school in “Shibuya.” The most important places in Yokohama from third grade through ju- are the hotel Alphaville, the family restau- nior and senior high school (pp. 78–79=E. rants Denny’s and Skylark, the park, the pp. 53–54). As stated above, Mari’s area bar, the convenience store 7-Eleven, the is situated to the south of “Shibuya.” By band’s practice space, and Shirakawa’s of- extension, her territory can be thought to fice. Their relative locations are not clearly stretch all the way to Yokohama. indicated in the novel, but some detail can By contrast, her sister Eri seems to have be gathered from fragmentary references. gone to a high school in Tokyo (p. 149=E. To reach the Alphaville hotel, we are p. 99). It can be said that she, unlike Mari, told that, “From the brightly lighted av- was oriented northward from their home. enue [the characters] turn into a narrow Place names connected to Takahashi, path and head uphill […] climb a gloomy, besides his apartment in Kōenji and his deserted stairway and come out to a differ- high school in Tokyo, include the Tokyo ent street” (p. 49=E. p. 34). This stairway District Court in Kasumigaseki, where he appears three times: when Mari and Kaoru attended a few trials (p. 135=E. p. 90), make their way from Denny’s to the hotel and the site of an arson and murder in (p. 49=E. p. 34), when they walk from the Tachikawa (p. 139=E. p. 93). The crime hotel to the bar (p. 74=E. p. 51), and when may have taken place in Tachikawa be- Mari and Takahashi go from the park to cause a branch of the Tokyo District Court the hotel (p. 214=E. p. 141). The stairway is located there, but its location to the thus symbolizes the transition to another west of Kōenji can also be said to match world. Takahashi’s directionality, which stretches We can assume that the park is located to the northwest or west of “Shibuya.” away from the central area of town: “They Moreover, Kōenji is located on the line leave the park and head for a bright area that connects the crime in Tachikawa and [in town]” (p. 203=E. p. 134) and “They the trial location in Kasumigaseki, sym- return to the center of the neighborhood”

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Figure 2 The supposed location of places within “Shibuya”

(p. 204=E. p. 135). It is just “down the “Shibuya,” I located the in-story places to street” from the Skylark (p. 145=E. p. 97) the west of the station. and a ten-minute walk from the hotel (p. Denny’s is where Mari herself first 261=E. p. 172). chose to spend the night. If we imagine her By contrast, Denny’s is on a “busy timidly entering the world of the night, it street” (p. 7=E. p. 6), where “The street would make sense if the restaurant is close is as busy as ever” even past midnight (p. to the station. By contrast, the other fam- 47=E. p. 33). It is probably close to the ily restaurant, the Skylark, which is run by station. The family restaurant Skylark, on a friend of Kaoru’s, should be relatively the other hand, is close to the bar (p. 89=E. close to the hotel. The family restaurant p. 60), which is found at the foot of the is a place where “The deepest darkness stairway by the hotel (p. 74=E. p. 51). of the night-time streets is unable to pen- The 7-Eleven must be close to the park, etrate” (pp. 92–93=E. p. 62). It is the place since Takahashi calls Mari from the park farthest from the darkness, and even the after having shopped there sometime af- Chinese gang member does not appear ter 5 a.m., before going to the hotel. The there. Therefore, although the Skylark is 7-Eleven also seems close to the band’s near the bar, I want to distance it a bit from practice location, because Takahashi stops the hotel and the bar. Moreover, consider- by there twice, once during a break and ing the directionalities of Mari and Kaoru, once after practice. I place the Denny’s to the south and the It makes sense that Shirakawa’s office is Skylark to the north. also near the 7-Eleven. Shirakawa is likely The park is a place familiar to a regular customer, considering that he Takahashi, making me want to put it in knows that Takanashi low-fat milk prob- the west, aligning it with his directional- ably is not sold anywhere else (p. 198=E. ity. This would make the park the place p. 131). farthest west from the central area (the These and other observations are visual- station). ized as a map in Figure 2. It is possible to place the Alphaville Taking the real Shibuya as a guide, it hotel to the west, since we associate it would be possible to suppose that the with the Maruyama-chō love hotel district. places in “Shibuya” are east of the station. Yet, considering that Mari and Takahashi However, based on my assumption that go from the Skylark to the park without the realm of past events is to the east of passing by the hotel, and that they pass by

― 8 ― A Spatial Analysis of Haruki Murakami’s After Dark (ODA) the stairway when going from the park to park → ​the hotel → the practice space → the the hotel, it is unlikely that both the hotel 7-​Eleven → the park → the hotel → the and the park are located on the same west- station. Kaoru moves around centering ward path. There could be two westward on the hotel: the hotel → Denny’s → the routes, but since Kaoru, the manager of the hotel → the bar → the Skylark → the hotel. Alphaville hotel, has a northward direc- The title After Dark comes from the tionality, I think of the hotel as being situ- jazz song Five Spot After Dark, which ated to the north of “Shibuya.” Moreover, Takahashi heard as a junior high school in front of the hotel should be the street student and which made an impression on on which the Chinese gang member rides him (p. 29=E. p. 20). If we take Five Spot his motorcycle, probably coming from the After Dark as a conscious reference to five north. spots figuring in the narrative, then they The park, the 7-Eleven, the band’s prac- should be the five places where Mari went: tice space, and Shirakawa’s office should Denny’s, the Alphaville hotel, the bar, the all be in close proximity to each other. Skylark, and the park. Since Shirakawa’s directionality is north- northwest, his office should be north of the IV. Encountering the Darkness park and the band’s practice space, which are Takahashi’s territory. However, as Urazumi (2000: 82–86) argues that a big evidenced by Shirakawa’s taxi ride home, theme in Murakami’s works is “meeting the 7-Eleven is found by taking a right at with an otherworld” and that there is “con- the intersection and going straight from tact with an otherworld.” This is also my there, and we must take into consideration impression of After Dark. In this section I that the street is one-way (p. 198=E. p. discuss those points of contact. 131) and probably not a main road (that is, there must be a main road elsewhere). As 1. Contact with the Darkness: The a result, it would appear that the 7-Eleven Place Where They Meet the Chinese is located as the entrance of the Chinese Gang gang’s base to the north, and their voice is In this novel, the “otherworld”—or what heard over the cell phone put on the store Matsumoto (2010: 132) calls “the city’s shelf. darkness”—takes a concrete form in the Chinese gang. The voice in the cell phone 3. The Characters’ Movements in that says “You’ll never get away” (p. Space 256=E. p. 169) is uncanny. Contact with The main character Mari follows this the darkness takes place in interactions path: Denny’s → the Alphaville hotel → the with the Chinese gang. bar → the Skylark → the park → the hotel → ​ As discussed in section 2, the Chinese the station → her home. Notably, when she gang member appears speaking twice, is walks finally to the station, it is always seen in his motorcycle outfit twice, and with someone. Before she goes to the is heard at the other end of a cell phone Skylark, this someone is Kaoru, and af- twice. terward it is Takahashi. Interestingly, they He first appears at the Alphaville hotel both wear orange. As she moves around to pick up the Chinese prostitute. Kaoru the city at night, Mari is always protected speaks with him, but Mari is also there by the “orange people” and is never in any (chapter 3). His second appearance is also direct danger. at the hotel when the gang member comes Takahashi has the most complex move- to receive a picture of Shirakawa. He talks ment pattern in the story: Denny’s → the to Kaoru and Komugi from the hotel side band’s practice space → the convenience (chapter 6). store (7-Eleven) → the Skylark → the The Chinese man’s motorcycle over-

― 9 ― Regional Views No. 30 2017 takes Mari and Takahashi as they are walk- likens such a person—who is “kind of like ing from the Skylark to the park (chapter a ghost” (p. 112=E. p. 74)—to “a deep-sea 9). Later, the motorcycle lines up next to creature with specialized skin and organs” Shirakawa’s taxi at a red light at the inter- (pp. 4–5=E. p. 4). The deep-sea footage section (chapter 12). shown in the TV program Creatures of the Takahashi hears the voice of the Chinese Deep, which Shirakawa, Mari, and Kōrogi gang member on the cell phone while all watch at the same time but in different shopping at the 7-Eleven (chapter 16). In places, is suggestive of the city at night. Chapter 18, the cell phone in the 7-Eleven They are shown “Weird [shaped] deep- rings again and somebody working there sea creatures. Ugly ones, beautiful ones. hears a Chinese man’s voice. Predators, prey.” (p. 221=E. p. 146) who Thus, there are three patterns for en- are the same as “those unidentifiable peo- countering the Chinese gang. The first, ple who inhabit the city at night” (p. 85=E. face-to-face conversation, takes place at p. 57).21) The city at night is the deep sea, the love hotel, since the gang lives off that is, an otherworld, and the people who prostitution.20) The second type of encoun- inhabit the city at night are creatures of the ter is passing by one another on the street deep sea/otherworld.22) unbeknownst to each other. The third is his voice through the cell phone in a one-way 3. The White Crescent Moon over the conversation at the convenience store. City The first pattern takes place at the love While the city at night is likened to the hotel—so suitable for contact with the deep sea, the text also describes the moon darkness—but the other two patterns hap- floating in the sky as a “white” (p. 166=E. pen in everyday locations like the street p. 111) “crescent moon” (p. 261 and p. and the convenience store. This means 285=E. p. 172 and E. p. 189) “like a sharp that contact with the darkness does not blade” (p. 166=E. p. 111). It is not a warm have to happen in a specific place, but that full moon that evokes feelings of love, but one can encounter the world of darkness a cold white crescent moon. anywhere. Supporting this idea, Murakami That crescent moon is “floating in the has Takahashi say, “that there really was western sky” at dawn (p. 285=E. p. 189). no such thing as a wall separating their This is not possible in reality, where any world [the world of vicious criminals] moon that appears in the western sky at from mine” (pp. 137–138=E. p. 91). dawn has to be a full moon. In this story, an unreal crescent moon floats above the 2. The City at Night as the Deep Sea/ otherworld that is the city at night. Otherworld The world of darkness can be encoun- V. Conclusion tered anywhere, but “Shibuya” as a whole becomes an otherworld during the “long In this article I have analyzed Haruki hours of darkness” (p. 286=E. p. 190), that Murakami’s After Dark mainly from a spa- is, in the middle of the night. As Kaoru tial perspective. I have clarified that colors says, “Between the time the last train are used to correspond with the characters’ leaves and the first train arrives, the place personalities. Additionally, I have pointed changes: it’s not the same as in daytime” out the similarities between Eri and the (p. 80=E. p. 55). Also, places “resembling Chinese prostitute and the commonalities a deep, inaccessible fissure […] open- se between the colors (and personalities) of cret entries into darkness” (p. 254=E. p. Shirakawa and Mari. I have argued that 168). the novel is set not in the real Shibuya, “Dangerous characters” (p. 80=E. p. 55) but in a fictional place based on Shibuya. hang around in such places. Murakami Moreover, by visualizing the characters’

― 10 ― A Spatial Analysis of Haruki Murakami’s After Dark (ODA) homes on a map, I have clarified how dis- mix between city and time.” tances between the homes and “Shibuya” 4) Regarding the imaginary space experienced and directionalities from “Shibuya” cor- by the main character’s elder sister, Eri Asai, I respond to the characters’ personalities. have generally regarded it as beyond the scope I have also considered the locations of of this study. places within “Shibuya,” estimating their 5) For example, Katsuhara (2005). relative positions as shown in figure 2. In 6) The family restaurant Skylark does not exist section 4, I have considered the encounter under that name today. But that cannot be the with darkness, taking the contact with the fact to identify the date, because its last branch Chinese gang as a clue, explaining that closed in October 2009, after the novel’s pub- the world of darkness can be encountered lication. I mention this here, since it might anywhere—rather than being tied to spe- raise questions in the future. See the morning cific places—and that the city at night as a edition of the Sankei Shimbun, October 30, whole is framed as an otherworld. 2009. In this article, I have not analyzed 7) The 2003 late-fall sunrise time was 6:40 indoor spaces, but that is of interest to a.m. on December 11–12. See the website anybody concerned with spatial analysis. of the Ephemeris Computation Office at the Including Eri’s movement into the imagi- National Astronomical Observatory of nary room inside the TV screen is a task Public Relations Center (http://www.nao.ac.jp/ for future research. The Chinese connec- koyomi/). tion is another spatial theme that could be 8) Regarding the similarities between the 23) explored in the future. Chinese Prostitute and Eri Asai discussed later in this article, it says that, Eri’s “eyelids are Notes closed like hard winter buds” (p. 36=E. p. 24) and she is also in a “winter” state. 1) This is an English translation of Oda (2011) 9) The only mention of color in the cityscape is originally written in Japanese. I omitted the the hotel’s “purple neon lights” (p. 214=E. p. table showing the plot, made changes to the 141). footnote and reference format, as well as made 10) A Google image search shows that Snow minor changes in the text, but would like to White usually wears a “blue” top. notify the reader that I have not referenced the 11) A red-colored cocktail with tomato juice. relevant literature published after 2011. 12) The Chinese prostitute’s name, Guo Dongli, 2) In the article, I refer to the tankōbon’s fourth sounds a bit like Mari and Eri, suggesting a edition (September 9, 2004) and the bun- connection between the three, also picked up kobon’s fourteenth edition (August 2009). on by Mizuushi (2005: 171–172) and Suzumura The pages indicated in the main text are (2009: 150). Moreover, Atsumi (2008: 104) from the tankōbon and the English transla- also mentions the similarities between Eri, tion (Murakami 2007). The page numbers Mari, and Guo Dongli. Additionally, the of the English version are shown as “E. Chinese prostitute and Eri are described in p.” According to Yamasaki (2008), Haruki the same way, namely as having “well-shaped Murakami’s works can exhibit textual variance breasts” (p. 55 and p. 162=E. p. 38 and E. p. depending on the edition. Rubin (2006: 408– 109). 409) also writes that some parts were deleted 13) According to Murakami (2010: 33), he wanted from the bunko version of The Wind-Up Bird to deal with the darkness inside each and every Chronicle, but regarding the references in this one of us also in 1Q84. article from After Dark, the only changes have 14) Tokyo kurenai-dan (2004) makes the same been fixes of minor mistakes. point. Yet, Fujii (2007: 71) argues that it is set 3) Suzumura (2009: 147–148) writes that, “the in Shinjuku Kabuki-chō. main character of this novel […] could be said 15) Urazumi (2000: 113–133) writes that Murakami to be the city or the period, but I think it is a is describing Sapporo and Ashiya as artificial

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cities different from reality, but if the name of the city is never indicated, no such gap would References arise in the first place. 16) Suzumura (2009: 148) also writes that, “I am (J) means “in Japanese.” almost sure it is ‘Shibuya,’ but it is not explic- (JE) means “in Japanese with English abstract.” it. It is Shibuya but also not. When it comes to Atsumi, T. 2008. Murakami Haruki “afuta daku” no Haruki Murakami’s places, you cannot capture ibasho [Where Haruki Murakami’s After Dark it with a specific name.” Moreover, Saito Belongs]. Shakai bungaku 28: 97–111. (J) (Fukuda et al. 2010: 68) points out that, “A Fujii, S. 2007. Murakami Haruki no naka no chu- basic question is whether Haruki Murakami is goku [The China in Haruki Murakami]. Tokyo: actually concerned with location. Essentially Asahi-shimbunsha. (J) the story unfolds in anonymous places.” Fukuda, K., Saito, T. and Ichikawa, M. 2010. Following that remark, Ichikawa (Fukuda Murakami Haruki no zero nendai [Haruki et al. 2010: 68) also mentions the notions of Murakami’s 00s]. Yuriika [Eureka] 42(15): “anonymous” and “lack of concern,” giving 59–76. (J) the examples of Kōenji in 1Q84 and the family Imai, K. ed. 2008. Murakami Haruki sutadizu 2005– 2007 [Haruki Murakami Studies 2005–2007]. restaurants in After Dark. Tokyo: Wakakusa-shobo. (J) 17) Kaoru̕s line should be translated as follows: Kamiyama, M. 2008. Monogatari ni hyogen sareru ̕ “Well, Ive got an apartment in Yoyogi, but kukan no zugakuteki kosatsu [A Study of Graph- there's nothing...” (E. p. 59). ic Science on Space Expressed in the Story]. 18) Shirakawa’s home is in Tetsugakudō. He Kokusai kankei gakubu kenkyu nempo [Journal says, “There’s a Showa Shell station along of the College of International Relations] 29: the way. I get off a little after that” (p. 200=E. 65–82. (JE) p. 132). According to Tokyo kurenai-dan Katsuhara, H. 2005. Boryoku sochi to shite no kin- (2004), there is a self-service Showa Shell dai [Modernity as an Apparatus of Violence]. station by Tetsugakudō. It is Showa Shell Nihon bungaku [Japanese Literature] 54(1): Oils̕ Tetsugakudō Service Station (2–25–12 81–90. (JE) Matsumoto, K. 2010. Murakami Haruki: toshi sho- Matsugaoka, Nakano Ward) across the road to setsu kara sekai bungaku e [Haruki Murakami: the west of Tetsugakudō Park. From Urban Novels to World Literature]. Tokyo: 19) It might be by chance, but it agrees with the Daisan-bummeisha. (J) Chinese prostitute being “from the north” (p. Mizuushi, K. 2005. Kako metafa chugoku [Past, 60=E. p. 41). Metaphor and China]. Gunzo 60(6): 160–173. (J) 20) Shirakawa is not a person of the otherworld or Murakami, H. 2004. Afuta daku [After Dark]. To- the darkness, but the violence perpetrated by kyo: Kodansha. (J) the loveless Shirakawa—like a person from Murakami, H. 2005. Rongu intabyu: “afuta daku” the movie world of Alphaville—happens at the o megutte [Long Interview: On After Dark]. love hotel, making it a place where one may Bungakukai 59(4): 172–193. (J) come into contact with the darkness. Murakami, H. 2006. Afuta daku [After Dark]. To- kyo: Kodansha. (J) 21) Murakami also likens the judiciary system to Murakami, H. (Rubin, J. tr.) 2007. After Dark. New a “weird creature” and “A giant octopus living York: Alfred A. Knopf. way down deep at the bottom of the ocean” (p. Murakami, H. 2010. Murakami Haruki rongu in- 138=E. p. 92), having Takahashi explain the tabyu [Long Interview with Haruki Murakami]. fear of not being able to escape it. Kangaeru hito 33: 13–101. (J) 22) Shimizu (2006: 227) writes that the sea where Oda, M. 1997. Bungaku chirigaku no yukue [The ghastly creatures live is a metaphor for our Current Trends of Literary Geography in Japan]. minds. Komazawa chiri [Komazawa Journal of Geogra- 23) For example, Mizuushi (2005), Fujii (2007: phy] 33: 101–116. (JE) 11–72), and Shibata (2008). Oda, M. 2011. Murakami Haruki “afuta daku” no kukanteki dokkai: “yami” to deau basho to shite no shin̕ya no machi [Spatial Analysis of

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Murakami Haruki’s “After Dark”: Midnight Suzumura, K. 2009. Murakami Haruki senki town as a place where we encounter the “dark- [Haruki Murakami’s Military History]. Tokyo: ness”]. Komazawa daigaku bungakubu kenkyu Sairyusha. (J) kiyo [Journal of the Faculty of Letters, Kom- Tokyo kurenai-dan 2004. Murakami Haruki azawa University] 69: 155–171. (JE) no sekai: afterdark o aruku [The World of Rubin, J. (Kuroyanagi, K. tr.) 2006. Haruki Haruki Murakami: A Guide to After Dark]. (J) Murakami to kotoba no ongaku [Haruki http://www.tokyo-kurenaidan.com/Haruki-after Murakami and the Music of Words]. Tokyo: dark.htm (Updated in 2006, accessed on Decem- . (J) ber 30, 2016) Shibata, S. 2008. Henzai suru “soko” [The Omni- Urazumi, A. 2000. Murakami Haruki o aruku: present “Bottom”], Josetsu 3(3): 113–129. (J) sakuihin no butai to boryoku no kage [A Guide Shibata, S. 2009. Nakagami kenji to Murakami to Haruki Murakami: The Place Setting of the Haruki [Kenji Nakagami and Haruki Murakami]. Novel and the Shadow of Violence]. Tokyo: Tokyo: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Sairyusha. (J) Press. (J) Yamasaki, M. 2008. Murakami Haruki no hombun Shimizu, Y. 2006. Murakami Haruki wa kuse ni kaiko kenkyu [A Study on Haruki Murakami’s naru [Getting a Taste for Haruki Murakami]. Text Revisions]. Tokyo: Wakakusa-shobo. (J) Tokyo: Asahi-shimbunsha. (J)

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