Strangers in Kyoto

This humorous look at the complex, often unspoken social codes of Kyoto follows the story of Madoka, a naive young woman from Tokyo who has married into the prestigious Shibusawa family, whose traditional business has been manufacturing high-quality fans for generations. Full of enthusiasm and naivety, Madoka wants to understand her new home and integrate herself into it. Together with her friend, the illustrator Riko, she begins to record her impressions in a manga essay series. At first, her efforts seem to be well received. She interviews her in-laws and transforms the conversations into charming manga episodes. But Madoka's enthusiasm quickly turns to the opposite when she is introduced to the influential businesswomen of Kyoto. There, her direct questions are met with polite rejection and hidden ridicule. And when Madoka then rambles on TV about the “disappearing face of Kyoto,” the “real” Kyoto makes her role as an outsider clear to her, and the old capital once again shows the new capital its limits.