Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder

Manako Kajii is one of the novel’s primary characters. She acts as both an antagonist and an archetypal guide in Rika’s story. At the novel’s start, Rika becomes interested in Kajii because of her recent murder conviction and trial. The public believes Kajii has been involved in the mysterious deaths of three men she met through online dating sites and attributes her brutality to her decadent, selfish, and sexually deviant lifestyle. Because Rika knows that everyone involved in Kajii’s case “seems to have a deep-seated hatred of women” (13), she starts visiting Kajii at the Detention House to make sense of her story on her terms. The more time Rika spends with Kajii, the more questions she asks about what Kajii wants, who she is, and what she’s capable of.

Kajii is a lonely individual who has used food as a way to claim her autonomy, to care for others, and to prove her self-worth. Unlike the majority of women in Japanese society, Kajii has refused to abide by the culture’s Societal Pressures of Body Image and beauty standards. She eats at her leisure, refusing to maintain the expected slender figure or to regard cooking as a chore. For Kajii, cooking and eating are ways for her to inhabit her body and enjoy her life. She sees these pastimes as fundamental, life-giving facets of the human experience and believes that more women should embrace them. Although her lifestyle appears inherently feminist, Kajii insists that “there are two things that [she] simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine” (29). She reviles the notion that the culinary arts are a form of entrapment for women and rather asserts that they are empowering. Rika, at times, feels confused by Kajii’s seeming contradictions. Her viewpoints feel misleading to Rika and threaten how she sees the world. Furthermore, Rika’s seeming inability to make logical sense of Kajii’s character augments the narrative tension and upsets Rika’s state of mind.

At the same time, Kajii’s love for cooking expands Rika’s world and teaches her a new way of experiencing life, including Cooking as Love and Care. She follows Kajii’s instructions throughout the novel because she initially hopes to win Kajii’s trust. Over time, Rika realizes that fulfilling Kajii’s tasks is helping her discover her city, her friends, and herself anew. In these ways, Kajii incidentally ushers Rika along with her Quest for Self-Realization and Liberation.

Reiko Sayama is another of the novel’s primary characters. She is Rika’s best friend and is married to Ryōsuke Sayama. The friends met when they were in university and got along because of similarities in their worldviews. Since Rika met Reiko, she’s known Reiko to be “even more sensitive to misogyny than Rika herself” (12). In the narrative present, Rika therefore feels frustrated with Reiko for quitting her beloved job and consigning herself to an insular domestic reality. She notices Reiko losing weight every time she sees her, a phenomenon she often refers to as Reiko shrinking herself. In trying to abide by Societal Pressures of Body Image and standards of femininity and womanhood, Reiko is therefore disappearing herself to satisfy others’ expectations of her.

Reiko is a strong-willed, self-possessed character who contributes to Rika’s self-discovery journey throughout the novel. At times, Rika feels frustrated by Reiko’s impulsiveness and seeming refusal to listen to advice. However, she soon realizes that “the good thing about Reiko [is] how extreme she [is], honest to a fault, incapable of concealing her passion” (317). Indeed, Reiko proves to have “a stronger sense of individuality about her than even Kajii” (317). Therefore, when Rika becomes overly invested in Kajii’s case, Reiko grants her perspective on Kajii’s character and life. Rika plunges into experiences and embraces her theories because she’s determined to find the truth. Despite her fiery nature, Reiko has a cool, easy demeanor and moves through the world with confidence. These aspects of her character teach Rika new ways of being. Furthermore, Reiko is Rika’s closest ally. Sharing life with her enriches Rika’s experience.

Makoto Fujimura is a secondary character. He works in the books department of Rika’s company. He is also Rika’s boyfriend. Although she and Makoto are in a relationship, they rarely see one another. Rika is comfortable with this arrangement because she thinks Makoto has “no interest in the sorts of power games that [are] present in the publishing industry, and [is] neither showy nor intimidating in his behavior” (42). She respects him as a colleague and thinks their working relationship makes them suited as romantic partners. Furthermore, Rika finds him “more approachable” than other men, “humorous, with a never-ending supply of conversational topics under his belt” (42).

Over time, Makoto’s behaviors change as Rika begins to change. He starts ridiculing her weight gain, warning her that she’ll lose respect at work if she doesn’t start taking care of herself and controlling her food intake. He also stops supporting his favorite girl band when one of the singers goes through puberty and gains weight. Makoto also struggles to accept Rika’s gifts, shows of kindness, or unexpected behaviors. Rika, in turn, realizes that Makoto wants her to be the sort of woman she doesn’t want to be. She ultimately ends their relationship when she realizes she doesn’t love him. The two make amends by the novel’s end and decide to be friends. Their reconciliation shows that Makoto is capable of self-reflection, even though he and Rika aren’t right for each other.

Yoshinori Shinoi is another of the novel’s secondary characters. He works for a media agency and gives Rika regular tips for new stories. Throughout their working relationship, they’ve developed a close friendship. Rika at times feels sorry for Shinoi, “not because he [is] a man who [has] for years been dogged by shady rumors, whose behavior tend[s] towards emotional blackmail, and who [has] caused his wife and children much suffering by having an affair,” but because Shinoi doesn’t “even think to make the effort to improve his eating habits himself” (53, 54). Rika often notices that Shinoi doesn’t look well, observations that convey her care for him. At the same time, she feels comfortable around Shinoi and trusts him in a way she doesn’t trust other people. In part, this is because he has given her information for several years and because she doesn’t have to perform an identity in his company.

Shinoi is an endearing, sympathetic character who genuinely invests in Rika’s life. He engages her in pleasant conversation, helps her with her work, invites her to bake at his empty apartment, and never ridicules her. His consistency throughout the novel proves that he is another of Rika’s closest allies. Their relationship evolves because of Shinoi’s generosity and vulnerability, too. He helps Rika when she’s in trouble, invites her into his home, and opens up to her about his fraught past. In turn, he becomes a fixture in Rika’s growing friend group.