In the spring of 1952, 11-year-old Chizuru moves with her family (her father, his new wife, and her new younger brother) to the town of Nochiu in Hokkaido, a place with strong Ainu roots. They plan to live in a spare building on the property of her father's close friend. That friend has a family of his own, which includes twins, Takeshi and Shizuko, who are Chizuru's age.