Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, addiction, and suicidal ideation. 

Junko is a young runaway who lives in the seaside town of Ibaraki with her surfer-musician boyfriend, Keisuke. Her friend Miyake is an artist in his forties and an expert in building bonfires. Miyake often invites Junko to view the fires he makes from the driftwood he collects on the beach. The story is set a month after the Kobe earthquake and begins with Junko receiving a phone call from Miyake near midnight to see his latest creation. Keisuke is mildly annoyed that Junko’s fascination with the fires interrupts his guitar practice, but he accompanies her to the beach. Junko explains that bonfires have captivated people for 50,000 years, and Keisuke retorts that his priorities are to live in the “now” (23).

On the beach, Miyake lights an impressive arrangement of driftwood. A plume of smoke rises from the structure, but no flames alight. Keisuke complains about the cold and makes crude jokes about sex workers and his sex organs. Miyake chides the youth for being crass and instructs him on the virtues of skillful planning and patience. As they wait in silence for the logs to catch fire, Junko thinks about her favorite short story, Jack London’s “

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