After Dark

The contrast between light and dark—specifically between day and night and the people accustomed to dwell therein—is an important motif in After Dark. The most populous city in the world at the time the novel was written, Tokyo is known to be relatively safe and clean for an urban metropolis. However, as with any large city, it has instances of violence and crime which, as Murakami demonstrates, emerge after dark. After Dark takes place in an amusement district, an area populated with bars, clubs, and love hotels. It is an area where people can conduct their business in secret, and where organized crime runs the show behind the scenes. Kaoru, a woman well-accustomed to life in “dark” Tokyo, warns Mari, “Between the time the last train leaves and the first train arrives, the place changes. It is not the same as in daytime” (70).

Tokyo at night attracts people who run against the grain from society. Kaoru is a large woman, whose stature, weathered features, and shockingly blonde hair garner her “weird” looks; her past as a pro wrestler is equally unconventional. Komugi has dyed red hair (which is often seen as rebellious and frowned upon in mainstream Japanese society) and uses vulgar language. Korogi’s name is a pseudonym; an undisclosed event in her past cut her off from normal life in “daytime” Tokyo, forcing her to go into hiding in “dark” Tokyo.

Other characters straddle the line between “light” and “dark” Tokyo, traversing both worlds. Takahashi is an odd, individualistic character who does not quite fit in with normal society. His jazz band practices all night, and he has a fondness for Western media and a penchant for telling long stories. He is sensitive to the forces that form society, and he plans to quit his band—his tie to nighttime Tokyo—to study law in an attempt to further his understanding of The Individual and the Collective. Shirakawa, a seemingly normal salaryman, appears to be at home in the daylight—but he uses the nighttime to let loose his carnal and violent desires, hiring and abusing sex workers. Mari, like Takahashi, doesn’t quite fit in with daytime Tokyo; she didn’t fit in at school and she doesn’t want a regular, steady job. Her discomfort with Eri’s deep sleep drives her to seek solace outside of her home, which is why she stays out all night. She is able to see a new aspect of herself reflected in the night dwellers; Takahashi, Kaoru, and Korogi help her recover her sense of self-worth, which had long been lost in the daylight.