This can be seen through the character of Mr Naguchi, who wrote pro-Japanese war songs during the outbreak of the war. Ishiguiro uses Naguchi as a metaphor for the harmful nature of nationalism when taken too far. Naguchi's suicide serves as a symbol to make respondents understand that although the Japanese government at the time promoted nationalism and expected everyone to act as patriotically as possible, these actions may have repercussions in the future and guilt may take over the individual. This challenges the contextual value that nationalism is always best and shows the responder that government should not always be followed blindly and that an individual must make his own decisions regarding what is best for him and his interests.