Synopsis
A peaceful little town, looking across the sea to distant Mt Fuji. Along with the meadows, the hospital, and the church is the Cape Café, situated atop the cape where it juts out into the ocean. There gather farmers, fishermen, hospital staff, clergy, and even the occasional police officer, for coffee with the proprietor, Etsuko Kashiwagi (Sayuri Yoshinaga). The two most important things in her life are her jack-of-all-trades nephew Koji (Hiroshi Abe) and the spring water she brings every day from a small island nearby. In every cup Etsuko brews is a prayer for the well-being of her customers, and coffee at her café is an uplifting experience for all.
Koji is 45, and devoted to Etsuko, who lives in a shack beside her café. He is hot-tempered, quick to jump to conclusions, and thus often causes trouble. Midori (Yuko Takeuchi), who left the town abruptly after quarrelling with her father Toku, a local fisherman, has come home after several years, and Etsuko senses that something is wrong. Tani (Tsurube Shofukutei), a local realtor, has been a regular customer for 30 years, and knows both Etsuko and Koji better than anyone. However, the time of parting from him is drawing near.
The winds of change have started to blow through the placid existence of Etsuko and the others who live in the town.