An obsessive Tokyoite Pygmalion—thrilling and provocative literary fiction from a leading Japanese author. Akira, a meticulous editor at a major publishing house in Tokyo, harbors a secret: he lives with Koharu, a Hungarian-made love doll. Each night, he speaks to her and finds a long-sought solace in her presence—a comfort he cannot attain even in the arms of real women in his life. Things only improve when Koharu breaks free from her role as a love doll and starts speaking and moving on her own, transformed into the perfect wife. But when a new woman enters Akira's life, everything changes. A single confession to Koharu about his attraction sets off a chain of disturbing events that spiral into the unexpected.