In the aftermath of World War II's shadows, two sisters, born of the same father but different mothers, navigate a turbulent post-war Japan. Asako, the younger, driven by an obsession to find a long-lost sibling, grapples with the complexities of love. Meanwhile, Momoko, haunted by the memory of her kamikaze lover and their haunting final days, seeks solace in unhealthy relationships. The weight of their late mothers' legacies shadows both sisters, revealing the enduring traumas of war, the indelible family ties, and the inescapable pull of history. The Rainbow is a poignant exploration by one of Japan's eminent writers, delving into the melancholic echoes of the past and the unyielding resilience of familial bonds.

Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972) was born in Osaka but after the early death of his parents he was raised in the countryside. He studied at the Tokyo Imperial University and was one of the founders of the publication Bungei Jidai, the medium of a new movement in modern Japanese literature. Kawabata made his debut as a writer with the short story, Izu dancer, published in 1927. After several distinguished works, the novel Snow Country in 1937 secured Kawabata’s position as one of the leading authors in Japan. In 1968, Yasunari Kawabata became the first Japanese novelist to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

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