A novel centered on a woman devoted to reviving traditional braided cords, depicting craft and life along the Sumida River. Her dedication to craft quietly overlaps with the joys and sorrows of riverside people.

The colors of braided cords and riverside life reflect the fading shades of Tokyo.

Ryotaro Shiba travels through Spain and Portugal, considering the points of contact between Japan and Nanban culture through Xavier and the Age of Discovery. Visiting historical places, he narrates crossings of civilizations.

Walking Iberian roads, Shiba traces the Nanban memories that reached Japan.