Shimensoka

In a distinctly contemporary Tokyo that looks backwards to the city’s disappearing past, Yoko is a writer investigating the life of a modernist composer of the 1930s. She is pregnant by a man she does not want to marry and has found a kindred spirit in a used bookstore owner who aids her research.

In a small village devastated by a past storm, an elderly woman named Tae lives alone selling grilled dumplings. Her life follows a quiet, repetitive routine, as if time itself has come to a standstill. One night, Tae discovers a strange creature in the mountains and brings it home, naming it Haru. Haru eats only the dumplings Tae makes by hand. Awkward yet gentle, Haru’s presence gives Tae a renewed sense of purpose. However, the village cannot accept what it does not understand. Rumors of a monster called “UWAN” spread, and fear takes hold. Haru is branded a harbinger of disaster, while Tae is deemed mentally unstable and forcibly hospitalized. Caught between rigid institutions and superstition, Tae struggles to protect Haru. Finally, she stages a grand fake funeral, allowing Haru to escape the village’s fear. As another storm approaches, Tae realizes that love is not about possession, but about letting go.

Wisecracking Makino shows up from Japan and meets Shima, a yakuza living quietly in Taipei. Makino says he knows about the incident that prompted Shima to come to Taiwan. Shima finds out that someone wants Makino dead, and they both head for Hualien, a city in eastern Taiwan.