Little Forest Collection

Fleeing heartbreak in the big city, Ichiko returns to Komori, her rural hometown. She battles summer's rain and humidity, bakes her own bread, grows hothouse tomatoes and tills the fields. During autumn, the time for pickling and preserving fish and sweet potatoes, Ichiko begins reaping rice and recalls her departure five years before.

Ichiko bakes a cake for an end-of-year party with her friends. In the depths of winter, making mochi and curry keeps the people of Komori warm. Later, spring brings thoughts of her absent mother as well as rice planting and sakura, and she begins to think of leaving Komori behind again.

In the small Komori village, Ichiko unexpectedly returns from the city and begins a self-sufficient life. From sweet rice drinks on hot summer days to autumn braises, winter dumpling soups, and spring potato salads, she cooks daily with homegrown crops and vegetables. Through these meals, memories of her mother and long-forgotten times resurface.