Pon no Michi

Nashiko Jippensha is evicted by her mother for being too noisy in her room. Longing for a hangout spot, she receives a call from her dad offering his old mahjong parlor, with one condition: she must clean it. Nashiko, along with friends Pai Kawato and Izumi Tokutomi, eagerly starts the cleanup, envisioning a new gathering place. But as they work, a mysterious spirit emerges from the mahjong tiles.

Nashiko has mes Chonbo, a mahjong spirit, and the mysterious Riichi Hayashi at the old mahjong parlor. On her day off, Nashiko finds Riichi outside the parlor, reminiscing about her joyful childhood memories there. Riichi eagerly invites Nashiko to play mahjong, but Nashiko, preferring to make the parlor a secret hangout for friends, hesitantly seeks reasons to decline the offer.

Nashiko's life becomes livelier with Riche joining the group. In the old mahjong parlor, they find it has a gas supply and decide to cook. While cleaning, they discover an old menu, inspiring them to make curry. Nashiko and Izumi go shopping for ingredients, but on their return, Nashiko suddenly craves sashimi.©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

Nashiko runs out of data on her smartphone and figures that all she needs is Wi-Fi to use it as much as she wants. When she asks her dad, he initially refuses, but her quick wit convinces him. Riche recommends an online mahjong game, and Nashiko, Pai, and Izumi quickly start playing. They begin an online match…©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

Riche defeats a strong opponent in an online mahjong game, sparking celebrations in their old parlor. Then, her opponent, Haneru Emi, appears and challenges Riche to a rematch, initially intimidating Nashiko. But Nashiko, encouraged by the others, decides to befriend Haneru. Later, when Haneru returns, they all start a plan to initiate the friendship.©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

Nashiko and her friends plans an overnight Mahjong camp at an Onomichi inn, and spend the day visiting nearby tourist spots. Initially, they enjoy the scenery and hot springs, but the trip soon turns exhausting. When the worn-out girls finally settle in the inn, Haneru immediately insists on a relentless series of all-night Mahjong games.©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

August 1st is known as "Mahjong Tile Day" and "Pai Day." To celebrate Pai's birthday, Nashiko organizes a birthday party for her at the beach. Everyone enjoys the unique party, eating cake on the beach at noon and playing in the sea. As the party approaches its end, Nashiko and the others decide to give Pai their presents. However, Riche presents something too expensive to be considered a gift...

The Lantern Festival is only four days away, and Nashiko is overwhelmed by the task to make 3,000 lanterns. But as soon as they hear of Nashiko’s despair, Pai, Izumi, Chombo and unexpected volunteers rally to help. Together, they race against time. Will they manage to meet the festival deadline?©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

As the Betcha Festival in Onomichi City approaches, where locals dressed as demons chase children, Nashiko and Riche plan a group visit. Izumi panics at the idea, revealing her childhood trauma with the festival demons. Eager to help, the group devises a special training to help Izumi overcome her fear.©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

On December 25th, Nashiko and her friends host a Christmas party at the old mahjong parlor. The table is filled with dishes they made together, and they enjoy a special meal for one night. Later, they take a break to play mahjong. Nashiko, Pai, and Izumi wear daring smiles during the game, making Haneru suspicious of cheating...©IIS-P / “Pon no Michi”Production Committee

On New Year's Eve, Nashiko and friends gather for the first shrine visit of the year. After their prayers, they share a joyful time eating soba noodles and drawing fortunes. Two days later, on January 3rd, they reunite for the first mahjong game of the year. Munching on Nashiko's homemade New Year's soup and potluck dishes, they wonder who will win the first game of 2023...

The girls are saddened by their beloved electric mahjong table's breakdown. They fail to repair it themselves, and as a result meet less often and play mahjong even less. Nashiko feels a sense of loneliness and sadness over this situation. Although the other four friends share Nashiko's feelings, they find themselves unable to change the situation, and time just continues to pass by.