Which are the voices of the history and tradition presented in the work ?

Although the novel deals with many timeless issues, it is very much grounded in the historical context of the late Meiji era. After the Emperor Meiji dies, those who grew up in the era of his rule and the modernization that characterized it find themselves left behind by the next generation, which is far more native to the modern world than they are. K's suicide is an admission that it is impossible for a Meiji era man to reconcile his traditional and modern beliefs, and Sensei's suicide, though it holds a very similar meaning, also comes from a sense of atonement and respect for the time.