Kafka on the Shore

The soldiers guide Kafka on a grueling journey through the forest. He is barely able to keep up with them, and they never look back to make sure that he’s still with them. They pause at the top of a ridge, and one soldier gives Kafka a drink from his canteen. They go down the other side of the ridge and the world Kafka is about to enter is displayed below them.

In a bowl-shaped depression there is a small village next to a stream, with a few buildings and roads. There are no other people. The soldiers escort him to a small cabin the same size and shape as Oshima’s mountain cabin. Inside is a bedroom and living area with a television, a small kitchen and a toilet, and there is electricity to run the refrigerator and lights. The soldiers explain that he is to stay here and rest until he adjusts to being here. There is food, and someone will come and fix his dinner. They assure Kafka that if he’s there to see someone, that person will come along soon. They repeat many times that “time is not a factor here.” The soldiers leave.

Kafka explores the cabin and turns on the television.