As someone mentioned in class, I do not believe that Watanabe had committed suicide because the beginning of the book shows how he is reflecting on his past. He is writing this story to preserve the memory of Noako since he is starting to lose his memory of her. Watanabe's aimless travels after Naoko's death would end with him "call[ing] out for Midori from the dead center of this place that was no place"; I interpret this as being the ending of making new memories with Naoko. His life with Midori is a different story now; he can now freely be with her.
I find it interesting though, if you go back to the beginning of the story, that even after Naoko's death, he still had an attachment with Naoko. Naoko tells him a couple of times that she would always be safe when she is with him and that she wants him to remember her forever. Because Watanabe had not been able to "save" her, I feel like he has a responsibility/obligation to keep his memory of her alive. In addition, now that Watanabe has matured, he has come to accept death as being part of life – Naoko, who was associated with death, would always be attached to him.
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