In the novel, there is a constant rejection of Naoe's ability to seek pleasure. Keiko dismisses Naoe's ability to eat pleasant foods due to her disdain for Naoe's Japanese food: "Where did this [dried squid] come from?" “Keiko so angry… Her lips turn white and she slams the kitchen door behind her” (Goto 14). Additionally, Keiko mocks Naoe's sexuality through her horrified reaction to Naoe's masturbation (39-40). Naoe is considered a non-sexual subject due to her age and whose pleasure-seeking efforts are misinterpreted as “senile” (40) and taboo. When Naoe leaves her family, she rejects these rules and taboos surrounding her experience of food and her own sexuality by unabashedly enjoying the pleasures of both. The pleasure of food and sex are inseparable in the text; the food is sensual and sexual, while the sexual descriptions are superimposed on food images. Even Naoe's reflection on narration reveals an intertwining of sexual and dietary issues.