The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen

In a remote seaside town outside of Tokyo, Kotoko makes her way along a seashell path, lured by whispers of an enigmatic restaurant whose kagezen, or traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones, promise a reunion with the departed. A gust of wind lifts off her hat, and she sees a young man who looks like her recently deceased brother running after it. But it's not her brother; it's Kai, the restaurant's young chef, who returns her hat and brings her to the tiny establishment, where he introduces her to Chibi, the resident kitten, and serves her steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice, and miso soup--the exact meal her brother always used to cook for her. As she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent, the air grows hazy . . . and Kotoko savors the magic of last chances and new beginnings.