Ueno Station
Kazu sees people of different ages and backgrounds coming and leaving the station. Kazu’s description creates an image for readers to see what is happening. Kazu says, “I'm watching for myself on the day I first set foot on the platform at Ueno station, in the throng of people waiting for the Yamanote Line inner-loop train to arrive." The imagery is meaningful because it sets the plot and open's the reader's eyes to what will occur to Kazu. The Ueno Station is full of activities, but there are people like Kazu who are homeless and confused because the only thing they do for the day is watching how people come in and out of the station.
Sound
Kazu’s puzzlement is made clear using sound. Kazu says, "I hear that sound again. Just that sound, like its blood coursing-like vivid current flowing back, then I heard nothing but that sound, rushing around inside my skull, like there was a hive in my head and hundreds of bees were trying to fly out all at once; I buzzed and burned and hurt, I could think of nothing anymore, my eyelids twitched and trembled as if they were being hit by raindrops, I clenched my fists, all the muscles in my body tensed." The imagery is important because it paints a clear image of what is going on in Kazu’s head. Kazu is befuddled because he does not figure out his purpose in life. No matter how hard he tries to get out of his current situation, he finds it difficult because he is baffled.
Eating a bento
The description of the man eating a bento illustrates the plight of homeless people. The narrator says, "Man wearing a dark blue baseball cap pulled his eyes, and a khaki button-down shirt was eating a bento off the lap of his black trousers." The reader finds this imagery important because he learns that the homeless people in Ueno Park did not go to sleep angry. The reader realizes that most of the park's restaurants agreed with the homeless people that leftover food should not be thrown away. Instead, restaurants left their back doors open to enable people to pick the leftover foods. Consequently, there is an element of humanity because the restaurant owners understand the plight of homeless people.
