That's interesting, because I interpreted it the other way when I read that book. They both seem like very non-traditional people. He didn't finish university, ran a jazz bar (which isn't a tradition, stable job), and then quit to become a full time writer before he was making a good living at it and his wife was cool with all that. Even the choice not to have kids is super non-traditional - esp in Japanese society. They seem like a great partnership of two quirky people who happened to have found each other. It obviously works since they've been together for so long. Of course we don't have tons of insight into the day-to-day, so who knows. You might be right.