Before we dissect the plot of , we must understand the visual language that director [Name withheld in original production] employs. The story is set in a classic Japanese house—weather-beaten wooden frames, sliding shoji screens, and a hallway that echoes with the sound of footsteps that never come. At the center of this home, in the living quarters, stands a large, floor-to-ceiling window. It looks out onto an untended garden, where weeds grow tall and a single, gnarled plum tree stands stripped of its leaves.