To begin with, An Artist of the Floating World is a nonlinear narrative. This is a kind of story with a disjointed , or disrupted account of events. Although the central storyline is constructed around the marriage of Mr. Ono’s younger daughter, Noriko, the reminiscent anecdotes therein are rather in a nonchronological order, without a distinctive plotline.
It is for this reason that this analysis is chopped into several episodes for easy understanding.
Episode 1: A Magnificent House
- How did Masuji Ono acquire the house? Mr. Masuji Ono acquired the house from the late Akira Sugimura. During the sale, Akira Sugimura had died, hence his two daughters led the sale.
- Why did Sugimura’s daughters sell the house? At this time, the Sugimura family was undergoing some financial constraints. However, the family didn’t prioritise financial endowment, but considered a buyer with worthy reputation.