Toru Okada is the protagonist and narrator of the story. The novel is a bildungsroman in which Toru undergoes character development that changes the entire nature of his world. Toru is an everyman character—an average man who craves meaning but is happy to be alone at home with his wife. He takes pleasure from the small things in life. His world is turned upside down when his wife leaves him, and several strangers begin to interfere in his understanding of his relationship, his life, and his personhood. Toru is capable of mind-bending universe traveling, but whether this is an inherent gift or an act of desperate will is not entirely clear. Toru cares about the people in his life and craves connections while also desiring solitude. In his clear and concise narrative point of view, Toru takes the reader on a journey through history, psychology, and philosophy.

Malta Kano is a fortune-teller who comes into Toru’s life through his wife’s family. Ostensibly hired to help find Kumiko’s missing cat, Malta Kano’s true purpose is to avenge her sister’s rape through Toru’s mental and emotional development. Malta acts as symbol-giver.