The Emperor’s Ride
The emperor's ride is one of the central ironies in the entire text because it not only represents selfishness but also signifies inhumanity. When the emperor rides across the park, the homeless people are harassed and asked to remove all their belonging. Paradoxically, the Emperor knows that many homeless people live in the park, but he puts his interests first. The emperor is a leader claiming to be God-chosen, but his actions and those of his authorities are paradoxical.
The friendship between Shige and Kazu
Kazu and Shige are great friends in Ueno Park's homeless community and share many things. Whenever Kazu visits Shige, he loves listening to his history and why he regrets his life. Ironically, Kazu claims to be Shige's greatest friend, but he does not want to share his past with him. On the contrary, Kazu argues that he does not want to establish a strong bond with Shige. Still, in reality, Shige is the only person he trusts in the entire homeless community, and the guilty of remaining silent burdens him.
The Irony of Kazu’s miserable life
The reader learns that Kazu worked most of his life in Tokyo, and he earned a good salary. Ironically, instead of investing and spending time with his family, he danced with Junko, a hostess he met in a lounge, and bought her flowers. Additionally, Kazu spent his money with women and bought them a banquet of flowers. Therefore, Kazu’s suffering is not accidental but a choice he made when he misappropriated his funds. The irony is that Kazu blames his troubles on life being unfair to him.
