The Atsushi family lived in the villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, close to the forests and surrounded by mountains. Mother Akina took care of her three daughters—Amine, Akemi, and Shika—and dreamed of living a long life and one day meeting the knight of her dreams. After retiring from military service, Father Atsushi became interested in gardening and horse breeding.
One cold night, Atsushi and Akina were sitting with the girls in their room after finishing dinner. A geisha prepared tea, and the girls were delighted with her presence, especially because she had made a delicious sponge cake. The father used to gather with the family every weekend and would invite the geisha to the house. After finishing her work at the Iccha Hotel, Akemi herself became a geisha. On every visit, he would bring her a bouquet of roses, along with books and magazines.
Atsushi greeted the maid-geisha and asked Akina to tell him about the girls' school results. When Akina was about to speak, Akemi interrupted, saying:
"Amine is in middle school, and Shika studies with me in high school. In a few days, I'll be taking the entrance exam for university. Shika has some learning difficulties, but I'm sure I'll enter university next summer."
Father Atsushi asked, "Akemi, what profession do you want for the future?"
"I'm interested in engineering," she replied.
Atsushi asked, "Why did you choose that profession?"
Akina stepped in and said, "I'll answer this. Our daughter Akemi has loved drawing houses since she was little. Don't you remember the day she brought you a picture of our house and hung it in your locker?"
Atsushi said, "Really? I'd forgotten that. Good luck, my daughter, and help your sisters with their studies. Since you want to be an engineer, I'll tell you my life story tonight, and when I finish, I'll ask you a question. Are you ready, Akemi?"
"Our village was once empty of houses," Atsushi began, "filled only with thick trees, beautiful flowers, and heavy clouds that never left. Each day, the clouds would appear in different colors: one day white, another gray, sometimes very black, and at times even brown. My father was a fisherman who lived in the village of Osaka. He loved adventure and traveling. He moved with his family to the villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama in search of medicinal herbs, because my mother had been suffering from an illness since she gave birth to me. A friend in Osaka advised him to go to Gokayama, where a certain herb could relieve the illness she suffered from."