The first part, "The Thieving Magpie", begins with the narrator, Toru Okada, a low-key unemployed lawyer's assistant, who is tasked by his wife, Kumiko, to find their missing cat.
Den første del, "Den tyvagtige Skade," begynder med Toru Okada, en afdæmpet arbejdsløs mand, der har fået til opgave af sin kone, Kumiko, at finde deres forsvundne kat.