Sweet Bean Paste

In early summer, business at Doraharu is soaring. To meet demand, Sentaro and Tokue increase their production to 10-kilogram batches. Sentaro works relentlessly, with no days off. Adding to the strain, the rainy season’s humidity makes the paste spoil faster. Exhausted, Sentaro has dizzy spells and loses his appetite.

After selling out again one day, Sentaro collapses in his flat and drinks heavily. The next morning, he is too drained to open the shop. Overwhelmed, he wanders the streets, recalling his mother visiting him in prison. He contemplates death by suicide before returning to his flat and falling into a feverish sleep.

For two days, Sentaro remains in his flat, telling Tokue over the phone that he is too sick to work. The next morning, however, he goes down to the shop and finds Tokue already working inside. She opened and ran the shop alone the previous day, with impressive sales. Humbled, Sentaro opens up to her as they prepare the bean paste.

Sentaro confesses his debt to the owner and his failed ambition to be a writer. In turn, Tokue reminisces about her childhood. When he mentions fate, Tokue reacts negatively, alluding to a past with restricted freedom before changing the subject.