Norwegian Wood is set in 1960’s Japan. Like elsewhere in the world it’s a time of upheaval. Watanabe (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) is studying in Tokyo, having left his home in Kobe. Just before finishing high school his best friend, Kizuki (Kengo Kôra), commits suicide, an event that leaves an indelible mark on both Watanabe and Kizuki’s girlfriend, Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi).
While taking a break from his university studies in Tokyo, Watanabe runs into Naoko. So begins a complicated relationship which oscillates between friendship, romance, dependence and obligation. The relationship between Naoko and Watanabe is one part of the central love triangle in Norwegian Wood. The other key relationship is that between Watanabe and the less complicated Midori (Kiko Mizuhara).
