Banana Yoshimoto

Moonlight Shadow

Satsuki lost her boyfriend, Hitoshi, in a car accident. Unable to face up to his death, she spends her days unable to sleep properly. At some point, Satsuki began to jog at dawn as part of her daily routine, and on a bridge she always passes, she meets a mysterious woman named Urara.

Memories of a Dead End

A woman travels to Nagoya to meet her boyfriend who works there. She is disheartened to learn that he is seeing a new girl. However, she decides to stay a few more days, in a guesthouse at a dead end. Based on Yoshimoto Banana’s novel.

There Is No Lid on the Sea

Mari is exhausted by life in the city and opens up a shop selling snow cones in the small town of Nishiizu where she grew up. The simple flavors of her cold desserts soothe the emotional wounds of her customers and Mari comes to terms with herself by spending time with a young woman with a scarred face.

Asleep

Terako is a young woman without a job. She has an affair with Iwanaga who is married. His wife is in a coma. One day, Terako's friend kills herself. After that, Terako sleeps all day long and wakes up only when Iwanaga calls her.

Last Summer

A yacht lies at anchor in a bay off the Sicilian coast. Naomi, a young Japanese woman, has four days to leave her son with a lasting memory of her before she loses custody of him forever. In this hostile environment, Naomi faces the difficulty of approaching Ken under the controlling glare of the crew. When Naomi's hopes seem lost Ken starts to take an interest in her. Timeless days magnify the weight of their last goodbye.

Lizard

Ryo reads a short story written by Banana Yoshimoto.

Argentine Hag

After the death of her dearest mother, her serious-minded father goes missing, leaving their only daughter Mitsuko. Six months later, it turns out that he is at Yuri's house, who is rumored to be an eccentric and is commonly known as Argentine hag.

Kitchen

Aggie is suffering a great pain after the death of her Grandmother. She has no one else so she moves in with her Godmother and her son, Louie. Aggie does not speak a single word, the pain she is going through is unimaginable, and this portrayal is simply stunning in its sadness and grief. Louie and Wah try to make her feel at home, and soon Aggie's passion for cooking shines through her sadness.

Tsugumi

Tsugumi, who lives in a small seaside town, has been in delicate health from birth. Her parents spoiled her and she is rough and selfish. However, a few people are attracted by her beauty and unique character.

Kitchen

The story centers around Mikage, a young woman who loses her parents when young. She grows up in a lonely household with her grandmother who dies when Mikage reaches adulthood. Grief-stricken, she finds solace in the kitchen. Yuichi, a friend of Mikage's deceased grandmother, invites her to live with him and his mother. Then Mikage discovers that Yuichi's mother is actually his cross-dressing father. On the other hand, Mikage realizes that the wealth of gadgetry in Yuichi's kitchen is lovingly detailed.