Rose is called to Kyoto for the reading of her estranged father's will. Once there, she encounters acquaintances of her father--including a potter and poet, an old lady friend, his housekeeper and chauffeur, and Paul, her guide through Kyoto.

As the reading of the will gets closer, through her encounters and peregrinations in Kyoto, Rose reaches a poignant understanding of her father's love and an acceptance of loss.