The garden of words is set in Tokyo. The Garden of Words opens at the start of the rainy season with a 15-year-old high school boy Takao Akizuki. Takao Akizuki is an aspiring shoe-maker. He skips his morning classes because he believes the high school isn’t the key to his future.
So, he skips his classes to sketch his shoe designs in a garden. There he meets a mysterious older woman named, Yukari Yukino. They both start talking in the park but never revealed their identities.
The Storyline
“A faint clap of thunder
Clouded skies
Perhaps rain comes.
If so will you stay here with me?”
The Garden of Words, a great masterpiece, is centered around the main concept of finding someone in the midst of solitude. The whole purpose of ‘rain’ (which is the main theme of the story) is to reinforce this idea of finding love at a time of loneliness because rain can be a symbol of sadness or even loneliness
Takao Akizuki admires Yukino. They are both lonely, with no one to talk to. Akizuki is drawn at the moment he realizes that they connect so well with each other. So he decides to make a pair of shoes for her.
Whenever they met in the park Akizuki used to observe her feet so that he could make the perfect pair of shoes for her.
Since Akizuki couldn’t afford to miss many classes, he made the decision to only visit the park when its raining. But ever since he met Yukino, every morning he wished for rain so that he could meet Yukino in the park frequently.
What Happened After Takao Knew About Yukino’s Actual Story?
But after summer break when Takao Akizuki returns to school he spots Yukino in the hall discovering she is the literature teacher in his school. She was a constant target of gossip and a victim of bullying in the school.
Because of this, she decided to quit her job and leave school for the greater good. The following day, Akizuki meets her in the park and greets her by reciting a poem for her. He used to talk to her so gently like he was touching something fragile.
Suddenly, they got caught in a thunderstorm and both were fully soaked. They both headed to Yukari’s apartment and spent the rest of the afternoon together. Takao Akizuki cooks food and they both have lunch together.
When Akizuki confesses his love for her, Yukari is taken back but regaining her composure she reminds him that she is a teacher in his high school and is moving back to her hometown. Akizuki believing he made a big mistake by confessing his love tried to excuse himself from there.
Yukino realizing that she has upset him runs after him. Upset and angry Akizuki, lashes out at her and criticizes her for not being open to him and being so secretive all the time. He even asks her to ignore what he said because he knew there was no place for him in her life.
After hearing Akizuki’s words Yukino broke down and she ran into his arms and they both cried holding each other. Yukino even told him that every day she felt like dying but talking to him and spending time with him in the park was the only thing holding her together. Takao Akizuki saved yukino.
How Did Takao Saved Yukino?
In our daily hectic lives, we all are so consumed by ourselves that we tend to not pay attention to what’s happening around us. We have so much going on, that we don’t even give time to ourselves let alone anybody else.
But once in our life, we meet someone who is like us. And when we meet that person we just embrace them with love and care. They listen to us and understand us like no one ever did. Everything with them comes so easy. Takao Akizuki never shared much about himself with others but talking and revealing his thoughts to Yukino felt right.
Yukino was bullied and was the person of discussion at school which made her so secretive and hard to understand all the time. She got so sick of everything that she decided to leave her job, her entire life behind, and move to her hometown.
She lost everything she once held dear. Even though Takao Akizuki and Yukino’s relationship was based on the amount of secrecy, they had something special yet breakable. Though they found each other, they lost it too.
I strongly admire the use of dialogues in The Garden of Words and is one of the best films to watch.
“A faint clap of thunder
Even if rain comes not
I will stay here
Together with you”
Thanks for reading!
