Throughout the period of three years, we follow the main character from his childhood years, from his decision to take up painting as a profession to breaking free from traditional Japanese art and producing propaganda work. Like Stevens from The Remains of the Day”, Ono is not a reliable narrator. We are a given only pieces of a puzzle and only if we read between the lines are we on the right path to understand Ono as a man who “wanted so badly to make a grand contribution”, a man who had ambition to produce “work that will be a significant contribution to the people of (our) nation”.