[1] The uniquely structured novella switches between the perspectives of three characters as they begin jobs at a joint living and working facility known as "the factory."

[2] The factory's compound includes: living quarters, a temple with a priest, museums, restaurants, grocery stores, travel agencies, barbers, post offices, and more.

She graduated school with a liberal arts degree and a special interest in research on Japanese communication.

Yoshiko's portion of the story ends when she begins questioning her entire life's purpose before becoming a part of the factory herself.

Furufue is then told that he will be required to work from a two-story home on the premises, where one story will serve as his lab space.

After the moss hunt, Hikaru Samukawa and his grandfather approach Furufue at home to present the research they had conducted on the animals that live in the factory.

This job is a demotion for him; he sits at a desk all day proofreading nonsensical documents until he falls asleep.

Hiroko Oyamada's novella switches between first person perspectives of the three main characters; however, there is no identifying signal for each shift.

[4] The concept of time disappears entirely, and at the end, the reader finds out fifteen years have passed without their knowing.

[3] This endless confusion strengthens the feeling of powerlessness, recreating within the reader the mindless disconnect the factory workers experience.

The novels of Franz Kafka, the Czech writer known for his fictional worlds which are oppressive and sometimes nightmarish, are recalled in Oyamada's storytelling.

The story shifts point of view in very subtle ways and the descriptions of characters and events suddenly take a heavy and dark tone.

[10] The London Magazine acknowledges the way Oyamada depicts her world's workplace environment and positively compares it to other contemporary works.

[4] The Kirkus Reviews commends Oyamada's ability to accurately represent Japan's monotonous and unusual vibe and points out the Kafkaesque and proletariat undertones.