Tetsuya Yanagihara

A love story set in the ancient quarter Uzumasa in Kyoto, grew up around the legendary Shochiku film studios. Kyoko is a part-time librarian, who also helps her parents with their drycleaning shop. Her boyfriend Kota is the son of a Tofu maker and aspires to become a successful stand-up comedian. A sinologist from Tokyo falls in love with Kyoko and asks her to follow him and leave the city.

Erin is a 10-year-old girl living with her mother Soyon at the Ake village, a region that is mainly known for breeding Touda, a species of giant lizards used for war. Following the example of her mother, Erin lives a quiet and peaceful life in contact with nature and grows observing animals and learning about their breeding. One day a grave incident happens at the village. Soyon is found guilty and severely punished, and Erin finds herself unable to return home.