The Villagers 

None of the villagers in this story are named; the village itself is not named, either, creating the impression that it is emblematic of other, similar villages built on similar traditions. The people who live in the village have a general sense that they need to rebuild their shrine, because it has always been there. However, they cannot remember exactly how long the shrine had been where it was before the typhoon washed it away. They also cannot remember where precisely it was positioned.

The implication seems to be that the people who live in this village have a tendency to cling to the old ways, but not because they have any particular memory of why things have always been done in the way that they have. They are simply inclined to revert to the status quo, as most people are. There is some discord among the villagers, with one curious person throwing a pebble into the newly discovered hole and calling into it "He-y, come on ou-t!" Another, elderly man protests that this might cause a curse to be brought down upon them. This seems to indicate that, among most groups of people, it is the older generation which clings most strongly to the old ways, whereas change and curiosity are generally driven by the young. Ultimately, however, the group of villagers decides to leave the hole alone; they build a fence around it and leave it as it is, with one thought being that they should simply build the shrine over it again and put things back the way they once were. It is not the villagers who make the decision to change anything or put the hole to new use—that decision is driven by news reporters, scientists, and, ultimately, capitalism.

The Scientist 

The scientist is determined to come to an understanding of what the hole is, what has created it, and what can be done about it. He tries to measure the depth of the hole by sounding a blowhorn into it. However, when there is no echo, he is "baffled" and, at the same time, afraid to admit that he is unable to solve this problem with science. As such, he makes the decision that the hole should be filled in—"Safer to get rid of something one didn't understand." Where the approach of the villagers was generally one of avoiding the issue of the hole, and possibly covering it up again with a shrine identical to the old one, the approach of the scientist is to attempt to understand the hole—but then to try to eradicate it when this proves impossible.

The Concessionaire 

The concessionaire in this story is a representative of a wider group of businessmen and tycoons. He has no desire to understand the hole; he simply takes advantage of the scientist's determination that it should be filled in, recognizing that this represents an economic opportunity for him. He uses the power of capitalism to bargain with the villagers: their fears about the presence of nuclear waste evaporate when the concessionaire offers them a share of the profits from his idea. He builds the villagers a new, more convenient shrine—suggesting that the shrine itself is not significant except as a gesture or a symbol. He then turns the unexplained hole into an opportunity: he suggests using it to dispose of things that people don't want to think about.

The Mayor 

The mayor, going along with the reaction of the villagers to what the concessionaire has proposed, agrees that the concessionaire can have the hole to do with as he will. This of...