Anthem: Haruki’s novel has been translated into over 30 different languages. Why is this novel so universal in your mind?

Rinko Kikuchi: It’s about how love always comes to an end. We can only hope that we’ll get really close to someone, but it won’t last forever. That’s what you think about when you meet someone for the first time. We have this beautiful thing one day, but we can lose it all in one day too. It sounds really sad, but it’s also beautiful. The book doesn’t sugarcoat the truth and everyone can relate to it.