Since I have come to America, I am often asked whether my next novel will be set in America. I don't think it will. I think I will be living in America for some time to come, but while living in America, I would like to write about Japanese society from the outside.

Everything passes. Nobody gets anything for keeps. And that's how we've got to live.

Sheep hurt my father, and through my father, sheep have also hurt me.

But if you knew you might not be able to see it again tomorrow, everything would suddenly become special and precious, wouldn’t it?

So many dreams, so many disappointments, so many promises. And in the end, they all just vanish.

It's like a kid standing at the window watching the rain.

You've already decided what you're going to do, and all that's left is to set the wheels in motion. I mean, it's your life. Basically, you gotta go with what you think is right.