Published in English as A Personal Matter, this novel follows a young man nicknamed Bird, who is unhappily teaching at a cram school and dreaming of escape to Africa. His life is thrown into crisis when his wife gives birth to a baby with a serious medical condition. Bird is tempted to run from responsibility, drinking and seeking comfort in the company of an old friend. The book draws on Ōe's own experience as the father of a disabled son. It is a short, intense study of fear, selfishness and the difficult acceptance of family duty, and it is often seen as a turning point in his career.