Kino is a young Japanese boy who lives on a farm with his family on a mountain overlooking the ocean. His closest friend is Jiya, who lives in the fishing village below the mountain. Though the narrative occasionally shifts to depict Jiya’s inner thoughts and feelings, the book is primarily told in close third-person from Kino’s point of view. Therefore, his understanding (or lack thereof) of the story’s events impacts the way the reader receives the narrative. In particular, Kino’s youthful naivete allows him to serve as a conduit through which the reader, who is presumed to be both young and a Westerner, learns about Japanese culture and philosophy. Kino asks constant questions about the world, which allows his father to offer words of wisdom to both Kino and the reader.

Kino is therefore relatively flat as a protagonist, especially as compared to Jiya. However, he does undergo a minor character arc following the devastation of the wave, which forcibly brings home to him the power of nature and thus helps him grasp the fishermen’s fear of the ocean. In fact, Kino’s and Jiya’s attitudes toward the ocean move in opposite directions, with Jiya learning to accept the risk it poses while Kino becomes more fearful of it.