Tale of two brothers on divergent life paths, trying to stay alive-spiritually and economically-in an ugly harbor town. Gentle Rai (nicknamed Hotoke, meaning Buddha) collects scrap metal to methodically construct a monstrous statue of Buddha. He is an inexpressive sort with a Zen attitude who rarely shows any sign of negative emotion, even when attacked. His main wish is to dedicate the Buddha to his late mother, who drowned herself in the sea after learning of her husband's adultery. In following Hotoke's story, we also meet his brutal older brother Shiba, who heads a vicious criminal gang and pimps out a sight-impaired masseuse named Yuma. Both brothers' lives converge in their love for the blind Yuma, who hides a dark secret. When gang warfare breaks out over illegal nighttime fishing, the violence spills into the trio's personal lives and leads to tragedy.