The chapter opens with a flashback to a time before the novel was written. It's the anniversary of the death of the commander of the Sengoku military, a man who was modeled after one of the characters in the novel. The narrator tells us that this is the day of the anniversary, and that it's also the day that the protagonist and his friend are going to visit the holy land of Japan. The two of them need to find a cheap place to stay so they can get there on time. They're looking for a small room, but the innkeeper won't let them in because he doesn't want to look like he's trying to cheat them out of a room. He's not a brute, he says, and he'll cut them a deal. The innkeeper tells them that they can stay in a room with a view of the sea, and the narrator says that's what he did when he was on a trip to Japan. He wants to see his friend in a hot pot after a bath, and she's looking just like the one he saw on the ship. He says that the smell of the hot pot reminds him of a vestigial organ. He also says that his friend's skin looks just like his own. He asks if they can have ice cream, and they agree to meet after they've had their bath. He tells the innkeeper that he'd like to see her again, but that he has to go to the police station because he wants to get away from her. He then asks the innkeeper if he can have a look at the sign on the door, and when he sees it, he realizes that the sign