Sisters are supposed to be people you’re close to, aren’t they…That’s just not how it was though. I don’t even remember what she looked like now.
-- Niki (chapter 1)

Importance: Niki makes these statements in reference to Keiko, a few days or weeks after Keiko's death. The tragedy of Keiko's death is compounded by the fact that Keiko did not have a very close or functional relationship with any of her immediate family members. The novel thereby establishes a pattern of strained and distant relationships that occur throughout the novel.

The other woman. The woman from across the river.
-- Mariko (chapter 1)

Importance: These lines constitute one of the novel's earliest allusions to the mysterious woman whom Mariko claims visits her. Mariko's claims create a sense of suspense in the narrative, and they also heighten the general sense of unease that permeates the story and mirrors the sense of lingering unease in the...