Rié’s Repeated Bereavements

A Man

Rié Takemoto moves through the deaths of Ryo, her father, and Makoto Hara while trying to preserve a family and make room for grief.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Loss of Ryo The Loss of Ryo from "A Man". A Child’s Illness A diagnosis Ryo develops a brain tumor, and Rié and her first husband disagree over whether to pursue a biopsy and aggressive treatment.

The Loss of Ryo from "A Man". A Child’s Illness A diagnosis Ryo develops a brain tumor, and Rié and her first husband disagree over whether to pursue a biopsy and aggressive treatment.

A Child’s Illness A diagnosis Ryo develops a brain tumor, and Rié and her first husband disagree over whether to pursue a biopsy and aggressive treatment. A lasting wound The treatment fails to save Ryo and makes his final months more painful. Rié is left with grief, guilt, and a marriage she can no longer continue.

Divorce and Return Home Divorce and Return Home from "A Man". Starting Again in Town S A difficult separation Rié seeks divorce, not because she believes her husband alone caused Ryo’s death, but because she cannot share…

Divorce and Return Home from "A Man". Starting Again in Town S A difficult separation Rié seeks divorce, not because she believes her husband alone caused Ryo’s death, but because she cannot share…

Starting Again in Town S A difficult separation Rié seeks divorce, not because she believes her husband alone caused Ryo’s death, but because she cannot share a future with him. A second bereavement Her father dies as the divorce ends. Rié returns to Town S with Yuto, carrying two losses into a diminished family business and a changed life.

Meeting the Quiet Painter Meeting the Quiet Painter from "A Man". A New Companion At the stationery shop X repeatedly visits Seibundo Stationery for sketchbooks and paints.

Meeting the Quiet Painter from "A Man". A New Companion At the stationery shop X repeatedly visits Seibundo Stationery for sketchbooks and paints.

A New Companion At the stationery shop X repeatedly visits Seibundo Stationery for sketchbooks and paints. Rié notices his unpolished art and the solitary attention behind it. An offered friendship After she cries over a picture of her old bus terminal, he asks to be her friend. Their trust grows into love and a shared home.

A Second Husband Dies A Second Husband Dies from "A Man". A Family Without Answers Sudden death X dies in a forestry accident, leaving Rié with Yuto and Hana and no grave for his ashes.

A Second Husband Dies from "A Man". A Family Without Answers Sudden death X dies in a forestry accident, leaving Rié with Yuto and Hana and no grave for his ashes.

A Family Without Answers Sudden death X dies in a forestry accident, leaving Rié with Yuto and Hana and no grave for his ashes. The identity breaks When Kyoichi Taniguchi says the dead man was not his brother, Rié must reconsider the name and history she had called her husband’s own.

Grief Finds a New Shape Grief Finds a New Shape from "A Man". Calling Him Makoto A fuller story Kido tells Rié that her husband was Makoto Hara, a survivor of a violent childhood who found happiness in their marriage.

Grief Finds a New Shape from "A Man". Calling Him Makoto A fuller story Kido tells Rié that her husband was Makoto Hara, a survivor of a violent childhood who found happiness in their marriage.

Calling Him Makoto A fuller story Kido tells Rié that her husband was Makoto Hara, a survivor of a violent childhood who found happiness in their marriage. A family continues Rié and Yuto choose a shared grave for Hara, Ryo, and her father. Hana remains protected from a truth she is too young to understand.

Before Rié returns to Town S

After Ryo’s death

February through the following year

September 2011

After Kido’s investigation is completed