What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is set in modern-day Tokyo, Japan. All of the primary characters reside in this urban metropolis and have a distinct relationship with the setting and its culture. Tokyo is the capital of Japan and its most populous city. Along with the nation’s economic base, it is a global hub for culture and the arts, boasting a diverse selection of museums, art galleries, and libraries that cater to a wide range of interests. Tokyo is also home to one of the largest and most renowned transportation systems. The train network connects the various neighborhoods of the city and the surrounding land. Although Tokyo is globally recognized as a metropolitan city, Tokyo has a unique structure. The city is divided into 23 municipalities, which each contain distinct wards, towns, and villages. This organizational system is distinct to Tokyo and inspires cultural shifts from one region to the next.

The novel is primarily set in Tokyo’s Hatori ward. Therefore, all of the characters are regionally connected. At the same time, because Tomoka Fujiki, Ryo Urase, Natsumi Sakitani, Hiroya Suda, and Masao Gonno are living in one of the most populous cities in the world, they often experience isolation and disconnection. The novel’s cultural and geographical context inform many of the novel’s central conflicts and thematic examinations. All of the main characters experience loneliness and feel trapped by their insular home and work lives. They are surrounded by their city’s culture, other people, and access to opportunities, but they struggle to navigate this overwhelming realm. They want to take advantage of all that their city has to offer them, but their varying means, backgrounds, or careers preclude them from doing so. Tomoka’s, Ryo’s, Natsumi’s, Hiroya’s, and Masao’s experiences at the Hatori Community House are central to their transformation journeys because the center and its library grant them a safe place to be themselves in their otherwise formidable city.

Because of the characters’ isolation, recognizable facets of Tokyo culture at times live at the margins of the narrative. For example, a character like Natsumi can’t access all that her city has to offer her because she’s primarily stuck at home caring for her daughter on her own. Meanwhile, a character like Tomoka is young and single, but she feels financially and socially incapable of penetrating the city’s rich culture. Despite these challenges, the characters know that “Tokyo is still a dream,” as “there is always at least one convenience store within five minutes’ walk, and the trains come every three minutes” (13). Furthermore, Tokyo residents can find anything they “could possibly want in the way of daily necessities” and “ready-prepared food is available at [their] fingertips, at any time” (13). Tokyo culture is, therefore, fast-paced, offers conveniences, and has a constant, propellant energy. Once the characters start to see themselves differently, they are better able to appreciate these positive aspects of their environment and its local culture.