Teenage cousins Masao and Tamiko fall in love when she comes to his riverside brewery house to take care of his sickly mother. On the day of the Autumn Festival, while picking cotton in a mountain field, they accidentally embrace, affirm their love, and liken each other allegorically to flowers. Family objections ensue as Tamiko is older than Masao, and the two cannot marry in peace. Masao escapes from his school dormitory only to trail behind a crying Tamiko during the bridal procession she is forced into. Miscarriage and mistreatment lead to a tragic end. More than half a century later, the elderly Masao visits the tomb of the girl he loved and never had, and prepares to go on a pilgrimage to the home of her soul.