Norwegian Wood

Main Characters and Their Development

• Toru Watanabe - the protagonist, a student dealing with the loss of his best friend Kizuki. He tries to find himself and understand his feelings, balancing between his love for Naoko and new relationships with Midori.
• Naoko - Kizuki's girlfriend and Toru's first love. She suffers from mental health issues and retreats to a sanatorium after Kizuki's death. Her internal conflicts and struggle with depression play a key role in her development.
• Midori Kobayashi - Toru's classmate, a cheerful and eccentric girl. She helps Toru see the world from a different perspective and offers him a new outlook on life and love.
• Reiko Ishida - Naoko's neighbor at the sanatorium, an older woman with musical talent. She becomes a mentor and friend to Toru, sharing her life stories and wisdom with him.
• Kizuki - Toru's best friend and Naoko's boyfriend, who commits suicide at the beginning of the book. His death profoundly affects all the main characters and serves as a catalyst for their subsequent development.