While the mystery of the vanishing elephant itself keeps the story moving forward, Murakami also uses foreshadowing to keep the reader invested in finding out how an elephant has disappeared into thin air. This foreshadowing sets up the surrealism in the story, as it suggests that there’s more to what’s going on than meets the eye. Throughout his tale, the narrator drops hints that he knows more about the elephant than the initial article can explain. At one point, he even says that he considered calling the police and telling them what he knew about the case, but that they wouldn’t believe him.

The narrator’s reluctance suggests he was hiding something at the time. As he reveals the details of his experience to the magazine editor, he seems nervous. The narrator’s anxiety and reluctance in these moments create a sense of tension as the story builds toward the climax. Moreover, his behavior foreshadows an explanation for the disappearance that is something out of the ordinary. As it turns out, the foreshadowing sets up a final twist. While the elephant’s disappearance is bizarre, it is nonetheless the simplest explanation for what happened. Ironically, the result of all the tension and buildup is a letdown of sorts. The explanation is that there is no explanation.