Kido’s Parallel Life as X

A Man

Akira Kido’s investigation turns into a private experiment in inhabiting another man’s story, exposing his dissatisfaction with his own life.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Case Becomes an Earworm The Case Becomes an Earworm from "A Man". An Unusual Client Matter Persistent thought Kido returns repeatedly to the mystery of X, even during ordinary family life and work.

The Case Becomes an Earworm from "A Man". An Unusual Client Matter Persistent thought Kido returns repeatedly to the mystery of X, even during ordinary family life and work.

An Unusual Client Matter Persistent thought Kido returns repeatedly to the mystery of X, even during ordinary family life and work. An inward turn The possibility of becoming someone else attracts him not only as a legal puzzle but as an escape from a life he cannot examine directly.

The Barroom Masquerade The Barroom Masquerade from "A Man". Borrowing a Story A temporary performance Alone in a Miyazaki bar, Kido introduces himself as Daisuké Taniguchi and tells the story of the liver-donor crisis…

The Barroom Masquerade from "A Man". Borrowing a Story A temporary performance Alone in a Miyazaki bar, Kido introduces himself as Daisuké Taniguchi and tells the story of the liver-donor crisis…

Borrowing a Story A temporary performance Alone in a Miyazaki bar, Kido introduces himself as Daisuké Taniguchi and tells the story of the liver-donor crisis as if it were his own. Unexpected pleasure The brief deception gives him a sense of unity with the missing man. It also makes him uneasy about turning another person’s pain into recreation.

A Mirror at Home A Mirror at Home from "A Man". A Father’s Double A question from Sota Sota asks whether Kido could distinguish him from an identical double.

A Mirror at Home from "A Man". A Father’s Double A question from Sota Sota asks whether Kido could distinguish him from an identical double.

A Father’s Double A question from Sota Sota asks whether Kido could distinguish him from an identical double. Their talk about memory makes Kido consider whether another person could inherit a life. Self-recognition Kido’s fascination with Hara reflects his own wish to understand himself through someone whose circumstances seem safely distant.

A Story Told to Kaori A Story Told to Kaori from "A Man". Confession Through Hara A marital conversation Kido explains Hara’s life to Kaori when she asks what he is trying to escape.

A Story Told to Kaori from "A Man". Confession Through Hara A marital conversation Kido explains Hara’s life to Kaori when she asks what he is trying to escape.

Confession Through Hara A marital conversation Kido explains Hara’s life to Kaori when she asks what he is trying to escape. He admits that the investigation lets him approach his own distress indirectly. A fragile opening Sharing the case helps them discuss the marriage rather than simply accuse one another. Hara’s story becomes a conduit for a difficult truth.

Facing the Logger’s Mountain Facing the Logger’s Mountain from "A Man". The Pursuit Ends A return to Town S Kido visits Ito Lumber’s worksite and imagines Hara’s ordinary longing to finish work and go home to his family.

Facing the Logger’s Mountain from "A Man". The Pursuit Ends A return to Town S Kido visits Ito Lumber’s worksite and imagines Hara’s ordinary longing to finish work and go home to his family.

The Pursuit Ends A return to Town S Kido visits Ito Lumber’s worksite and imagines Hara’s ordinary longing to finish work and go home to his family. A belated meeting Mistaking a logger for Hara, Kido realizes how much he wanted to meet the man. The investigation ends not in possession, but in recognition and grief.

Late 2012

First visit to Miyazaki

Late 2013

Early 2014

April 2014