This is a book from which you can learn about the listening skills that are essential for communicating with the people around you, as well as the necessary understanding of human psychology that is essential to effective interpersonal communications.

The main character of the story is Izumi, who works at the city hall. She is transferred to a newly established department, the Listening Section, and spends her days struggling to cope with the continuous stream of people visiting the city hall.

Her boss, the mayor, teaches Izumi about the importance of attentive listening, and subsequently her relations with the citizens of the city, as well as the people in her life, changes for the better.