Synopsis

In the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, many family businesses were handed down over generations, maintaining long-standing traditions. One of these was Busshi, a sculptor of Buddha statues for temples. Toki Tadasuke was a Busshi whose family business had been handed down over the course of 800 years. The daily work of a Busshi was entirely devoted to carving Buddhas.
On March 11, 2011, spring was approaching, and the sounds of Tadasuke's hammer echoed throughout his workshop under sunshine that softened the chill of winter.

There was also the sound of a radio. The traditional Japanese enka music it had been playing was suddenly switched to a news bulletin. The announcer's voice conveyed the tragedy in her message as she struggled to sound calm.
At 2:46 p.m., the massive Great East Japan Earthquake struck the eastern half of Japan. Hearing the announcer report “a seismic intensity of seven,” Tadasuke halted his work and turned his attention to the bulletin. He recalled that his only daughter Naoko was staying in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, near the earthquake's epicenter.
Just two days before, Naoko told Tadasuke, who was her master and teacher as well as her father, of her intention to get married.
With a disappointed look, Tadasuke grabbed a Japanese sword. His countenance remained grim due to the absence of the man who would become Naoko’s husband during such an important announcement. However, hearing from Naoko that the man said he understood the Toki family's circumstances and was even willing to take his wife's surname, Tadasuke grudgingly accepted the news. Naoko said she would go to see his family and bring him back to Tadasuke for further discussion.

Naoko left a letter on her departure. She wrote that she decorated the alcove with the Nadeshikoflowers that her mother loved while she was alive.
Months passed. Spring departed, and summer arrived. There was still no word from Naoko. And Tadasuke had no idea where she had gone. He continued carving his Buddha statues as he concealed his uneasiness. He even started to see illusions of Naoko.
One day, when he saw the Nadeshiko flowers withered, Tadasuke set out to search for Naoko, despite knowing almost nothing about where he was going. He held a statue of the Kannon Goddess of Mercy that he he carved in his hand.
After numerous bus and train rides, he finally reached “NOBIRU” in Higashi-Matsushima. The area was scarred by the ravages of the tsunami.

Tadasuke traveled to various places, learning nothing, but there was one he doesn't even consider visiting. As the bewildered Tadasuke continued his aimless wandering, he was called out by a man. This was the man to whom Naoko had promised her future.
Tadasuke heard from the man about Naoko's last days. Far from blaming him, Tadasuke left him with kind words, then dragged his ponderous limbs to the coast.
Dusk was setting in along the shore. The white crest of the waves made a rueful sound. This was the ocean... These were the waves that took his beloved daughter Naoko's life, thought Tadasuke to himself as he was overtaken by sadness.
Then, appearing before Tadasuke's eyes was a vision of Naoko, as if she were waiting for her father to arrive. Tadasuke hurriedly run after his vision.
But she was not there. Was it a hallucination? With this thought, he saw a lone Nadeshiko flower in the sand, fluttering in the breeze. Tadasuke placed the statue he had been holding near the flower and prayed intently.

The deaths from the disaster totaled over 15,000. Even today many have not been found.