A leading architect is commissioned to design Sympathy Tower Tokyo, a building which will house convicted criminals in luxury. But do her morals align with the radical sympathy to be practiced there? Multiple characters narrate the progress of the project through contemplations on language, its changing use and how its interpretation effects our experience of the world and each other. An ambiguous, meandering and philosophical read.
The whispering of each leaf sounded like a secret message waiting to be translated. As the rustling filled my ears and body, I finally understood- real etymology be damned- why the word for 'words', kotoba, contained the character for 'leaves'. If only all words could permeate us this easily and completely, I thought, there would be no gap between language and reality, and the Architect would be freed from her prison.
