1Q84 Places

Pictures of the places possibly appeared or mentioned in Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84.

Aomame had caught the cab near Kinuta and told the driver to take the elevated expressway from Yohga. 　— Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch 1)

Kinuta is a south end residential area of Tokyo where the cozy park is located beside Metro Expy No.3.

Only the side headed toward downtown Tokyo was tragically jammed. Inbound Expressway Number 3 would not normally back up at three in the afternoon — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch 1)

Traffic at Metro Expy No. 3 is not too bad compared to that in 1984, but some congestion may occur these days.

climbing down these stupid emergency stairs from Metropolitan Expressway Number 3 where it passes through the useless Sangenjaya neighborhood — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch 3)

This is the most possible “stairway” of Metro Expy No.3 near Sangenjaya. The stair is hardly accessible in the usual circumstances.

When the subway reached Shibuya Station, she deposited her coat in a coin locker, then hurried up Dogenzaka toward the hotel wearing only her suit. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch. 3)

In front of Shibuya station, there is the world’s busiest simultaneous pedestrian crosswalk where up to 3,000 pedestrians cross in all directions at the same time. It is on the way toward Dogenzaka.

“All right. I’ll talk to her. Six o’clock tomorrow at the Shinjuku Nakamuraya. I’ll give her my explanation of the situation. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch. 4)

Shinjuku Nakamuraya cafe is currently closed for reconstruction and will be open on 29 October 2014. This photo was when it was in a temporary place until August 2014.
(As of July 2020, Shinjuku Nakamuraya Manna serves at B2)

He bought a few books at the Kinokuniya bookstore, and then headed for the Nakamuraya Café. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch. 4)

Shinjuku Kinokuniya is on the other side of the street from Nakamuraya. This photo is of the midnight launch event for “Men Without Women” in April 2014.

Aomame visited the Willow House. The grounds of the place were dominated by several large, old willow trees that towered over the surrounding stone wall and swayed soundlessly in the wind like lost souls. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch 7)

The Willow House is a fictitious place in Azabu area, one of the most expensive residential areas in Tokyo. One of the largest mansions in the area was the former residence of Prince Arisugawa (1835-95) where its garden is now a public park.

While she waited, Aomame let her eyes wander over the garden’s magnificent willow trees. Without a wind to stir them, their branches hung down toward the ground, as if they were people deep in thought. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch 7)

The most famous willow tree in Azabu is beside the well in front of Zenpuku-ji (temple). According to the legend, the well was established in the 9th century by Kukai, a respected Buddhist monk.

Aomame went to a record store near Jiyugaoka Station to look for Janáček’s Sinfonietta. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, ch 9)

The last record store in Jiyugaoka is on sale now as it will be closed on September 21, 2014.

Finally, after five stops on the single-track section of the line, they got off at a station called Futamatao. Tengo had never heard of the place before. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch. 10)

Futamatao is in the far west of Tokyo; one and half hours away by train from Shinjuku. Most of the people living in Tokyo except 1Q84 readers may have never heard the name of it.

The house was large and elegant. It had obviously been built long ago, but it was well cared for. The trees and bushes in the front yard were beautifully trimmed. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 1, Ch. 10)

Near Futamatao station, there is a former residence of the nationally beloved author, Eiji Yoshikawa (1892-1962). His house and garden are kept beautiful as a part of his memorial hall.

Aomame stood on the pedestrian footbridge spanning Gaien-nishi Dori Avenue, leaning against the handrail and gazing at the two moons for a time. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 2, Ch. 3)

The pedestrian footbridge spans all four corners of Tengenji-bashi intersection of Gaien-nishi Dori Ave. and Meiji Dori Ave: the urban view in all directions can be seen on the footbridges.

With its high ceiling and muted lighting, the capacious lobby of the Hotel Okura’s main building seemed like a huge, stylish cave. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 2, Ch. 7)

Hotel Okura is one of the most prestigious hotels in Tokyo: established in 1962 (two years before the last Olympic Games) by Kishichiro Okura (1882-1963), the last Baron. Its main building will be reconstructed in 2015 and open again in 2019, a year before the next Olympic Games.

Nighttime Tokyo poured its light into the room. Tokyo Tower’s floodlights, the lamps lining the elevated expressway, the moving headlights of cars, the lighted windows of high-rise buildings, the colorful rooftop neon signs: — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 2, Ch. 9)

Pouring lights on the street may have flown into the room. Tokyo Tower is an indispensable part in the night scenery in Tokyo.

“Where are you now?” Tengo asked. “At the front door of the Marusho.” His apartment was less than two hundred yards from that supermarket. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 2, Ch. 10)

Marusho is a popular supermarket chain in west of Tokyo. Its Koenji store is now U-Takaraya after change management.

It’s September 1984, I’m Tengo Kawana, I’m in a playground in Koenji in Suginami Ward — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 2, ch 18)

She slipped on a pair of sneakers and ran down three floors on the condo building’s emergency stairway, crossed the street, entered the empty playground, and walked to the slide, where there was no sign of Tengo. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 2, ch 21)

This photo was taken on September 2014 at a playground in Koenji where a six-storied apartment building is on its north side.

Tengo teaches math at a cram school in Yoyogi. He is apparently an excellent teacher, but he only works a few days a week — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 3, ch 26)

The most famous cram school in Yoyogi is Yoyogi Seminar. In the Japanese context, a cram school is for students who would like to enter the next level educational institutions and those who are studying for next year’s college entrance exam after having graduated from high school.

I picked up a fare, a middle-aged man, near Kinuta Park, and he asked me to take him near Aoyama Gakuin University. — Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (Book 3, Ch. 31)

Kinuta park is a nice place to hang around especially on a sunny holiday. As there is some distance from stations, it can be rational to take a taxi to go to Aoyama.