On a mountainside in Japan, Kino lives on his family’s farm. The terraced fields of their farm overlook the ocean and a fishing village on the beach. Above the fields, the family lives in a quaint farmhouse. Kino works with his father on the farm and looks out over the beautiful ocean beneath them. Some days, Kino joins his father in the fishing village, where they sell vegetables and rice and buy fish.

In the village, Kino meets with his friend Jiya. Jiya lives in one of a row of houses on the beach. Though the houses stand by the water, none have windows that face the sea. Jiya and his father, a fisherman, explain that the sea must always be feared and respected. Kino does not understand. For him, the ocean is a place of beauty and joy where he and his friend can swim and play.

Kino and Jiya often swim out to Deer Island just beyond the beach, which is wooded and filled with wild deer. They play in the woods and on the beach, collecting beautiful colorful stones. As they play, Jiya always watches the water carefully in case it becomes angry.