Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 5

Kashiwagi is a very sick individual, pretending to be hurt to take advantage of girls. Mizoguchi runs away from Kashiwagi at the girl's house and back to the Golden temple because he is afraid of the unfamiliar. The temple makes him feel safe and calm. It is the place that he can go to in order to escape the terrors of the real world. Tsurukawa doesnt approve of Mizoguchi's relationship with Kashiwagi probably because he knows of his character or he thinks Mizoguchi is settling for a friend who really is not going to be a good influence on him. When Mizoguchi hears about the flower lady he is shocked because that is the same woman he and Tsurukawa saw with the soldier. Mizoguchi thinks that the revealing of such information only makes the event more mysterious. Perhaps he believes there is some link between the flower ladies dead child and the death of the soldier. Somehow Kashiwagi has been able to put a trance on the girl he brings to the park with him because she will do anything to please him, even kiss his feet! The other girl who ignores the whole scene of the other girl kissing Kashiwagi's feet seems to be indifferent because she had come to expect such actions since she herself was once in the same position as the other girl. Mizoguchi's intimate moment with the girl is interrupted by thoughts of the Golden temple. Mizoguchi is devastated to learn of Tsurukawa's death. He doesnt understand how such a bright and positive person could be lost so tragically. Mizoguchi thinks that Tsurukawa was the only thing that kept him from being enveloped in evil darkness and solitude. Mizoguchi envies how Tsurukawa died with no burden of self discovery or unanswered questions that seemed to consume his mind, unlike Mizoguchi himself.