Tony Takitani had a solitary childhood. His mother died young and his father was always away with his jazz band. At school he studied art, but while his sketches are accurate and detailed, they lack feeling. Used to being self-sufficient, Tony seems to find emotions illogical and immature. After finding his true vocation as a technical illustrator, he becomes fascinated by Eiko. His life changes, he feels vibrantly alive and for the first time he understands and fears loneliness. But Eiko has one big problem, an all-consuming obsession for designer clothes. When he asks her to resist her compulsions, the consequences are tragic.