An elementary schoolgirl comes to terms with the loss of her mother and changes in her family over the final summer in her hometown before moving away. 10-year-old Misaki is a precocious, sensitive girl who still feels the presence of her late mother at home. Misaki sets a place for her mom at the table and won’t let anybody sit in her chair. Her father now has a new girlfriend and wants the family to move on as best they can, but accepts that Misaki takes life at a different pace than her older sister. Misaki’s hobby is pottery and she receives lessons with a local potter, feeling solace when shaping the clay in her hands. After accidentally breaking a classmate’s artwork at school, Misaki runs away from home. That evening she inadvertently joins a traditional obon festival procession and has an unexpected encounter...

In 1987 Tokyo, a quirky and sensitive 11-year-old girl copes with a terminally ill father and stressed-out working mother while encountering various adults dealing with their own struggles.

Naoya, living in the heart of Tokyo, spent his days caught up in the routines of a work-centered life. It had been a long time since he indulged in his favorite pastime — traveling, something he had loved since his university days. One day, out of the blue, he receives a phone call from Shogo, a senior from his university, inviting him on a trip to Okutama. Though puzzled by the sudden invitation, Naoya heads out to Okutama, where Shogo introduces him to an American traveler named Jackson. The three of them explore the lush natural surroundings — a place so rich in nature it hardly feels like it’s still part of Tokyo. Along the way, they meet warm-hearted locals and fully enjoy the natural beauty of Okutama. This unexpected escape from his ordinary life brings Naoya small yet meaningful realizations and changes. The scenery before his eyes begins to gently shine in a new light.

6 months after the earthquake disaster in Sendai City, Nakagaki Kazumasa is a young man who has lost his job. He encounters a dog named Tamon on its dog tag, who lost its owner in the earthquake disaster. Kazumasa decides to take Tamon in, and the dog becomes attached to him and his family, but Tamon always seems concerned about something in the south direction. One day, while Kazumasa is involved in a dangerous incident, Tamon disappears. Later, in Shiga, Tamon is with Sugai Miwa, who has a sad secret. Kazumasa reunites with Tamon, and they start a new life together. Nevertheless, Tamon heads south because Tamon has a promise it wants to keep to a boy.

The upcoming sequel to the 2005 absurdist comedy anthology. To be released in 2027.