Kafka on the Shore

While Kafka is eating his lunch outside the library the next day, Oshima sits down next to him. He has noticed that Kafka isn’t eating much and offers him a sandwich. Oshima asks what Kafka is reading now. He’s reading the novels of Natsume Soseki, and they discuss The Miner. Emboldened by the fact that Oshima treats him like a friend and equal, Kafka tells Oshima that he needs a place to stay that won’t attract the attention of the police or authorities. Oshima tells him that he will talk to Miss Saeki about Kafka coming to stay at the library to work as Oshima’s assistant. This will take a few days to arrange, so Oshima takes Kafka to his family’s mountain cabin in the meantime.

Oshima drives Kafka to the cabin. Oshima confides that he has a rare type of hemophilia and explains that he also has a love-hate relationship with school, having left school after junior high because he was so different from the other students.

The cabin in the woods has no running water or electricity, but it does have food and lots of books. Oshima promises to return in a couple of days for Kafka, but also indicates that he thinks the solitude of the cabin will be good for him.