Kita Kita (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Tonyo helped Lea because she had shown him kindness before she lost her sight. Lea had encountered him earlier as a homeless man sleeping on the street near her house, and she had warmed him with stir-fried cabbage and a blanket. Moved by her compassion, he decided to better himself and moved nearby. When he learned about her blindness, he wanted to repay her kindness by helping her navigate her new reality.

Foreshadowing: The film hints at this connection early on when Tonyo seems to recognize details about Lea that he shouldn't know.

• tonyo
• lea
• kindness
• homeless
• help
• blindness

The banana mascot was Tonyo in disguise. He had been working as a costumed banana mascot, and on the night Lea was lured to the beer house with a note, it was Tonyo who sent the invitation. He also carried her home after she collapsed from her stress-induced blindness. This explains how he knew where she lived and why he felt compelled to help her when she became blind.

Foreshadowing: The note inviting Lea to the beer house comes from an unnamed source, which later reveals itself as Tonyo.

• banana mascot
• tonyo
• disguise
• note
• beer house

Tonyo had an enlarged heart since he was nine years old, a condition that could burst at any moment. This hidden illness drove his urgency to help Lea and live fully despite his limited time. He pursued a future with her knowing his condition could end his life at any moment, which is why he was so determined to make every moment count.

Foreshadowing: Tonyo's insistence on doing everything for Lea immediately rather than waiting reflects his awareness of his limited time.

• tonyo
• heart condition
• enlarged heart
• illness
• death

Tonyo gave Lea a Daruma doll during their symbolic wedding moment as a wish for her recovery. The Daruma is a traditional Japanese charm believed to grant wishes, particularly for health and good fortune. By giving it to her and making that wish, Tonyo expressed his hope that she would regain her sight, making the gesture both romantic and symbolically meaningful.

Foreshadowing: The Daruma doll appears before Lea's vision begins to return, creating a hopeful moment that contrasts with the tragedy to come.

• daruma doll
• wish
• recovery
• wedding
• symbol

Lea's blindness was stress-induced. After discovering her fiancé Nobu flirting with her friend at the beer house, she experienced overwhelming emotional stress. As she tried to calm herself by counting from one to ten and recalling happy memories, she stepped outside and collapsed from the sudden onset of temporary blindness.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Lea's emotional vulnerability during the counting scene, showing how deeply the betrayal affects her.

• lea
• blindness
• stress
• nobu
• beer house

Tonyo died because he was struck by a vehicle while running toward Lea. After stepping away to fetch a stuffed toy as a surprise for her, Lea began regaining her sight and saw him waving joyfully from across the road. When he ran toward her, a vehicle struck him, ending his life in a sudden, tragic accident.

Foreshadowing: Tonyo's heart condition makes his death more poignant, as even a minor physical exertion could have been dangerous.

• tonyo
• death
• accident
• vehicle
• tragedy

Lea wore a blindfold at the end as a tribute to Tonyo and their shared journey. After his death, she honored her vow to revisit every place they had explored together during her blindness. By wearing the blindfold, she honored the memory of how they first experienced those places together, through his eyes and guidance.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Lea and Tonyo promise to revisit all the places they explored once her sight returns, making the ending a fulfillment of that vow.

• lea
• blindfold
• memory
• tribute
• journey
• tonyo

Tonyo moved from Tokyo to Sapporo after experiencing a broken heart. The letter Lea finds reveals he had his heart broken in Tokyo, which prompted him to leave and start fresh in Sapporo. It was there that he encountered Lea's kindness as a homeless man, which led to his decision to live nearby and eventually help her.

Foreshadowing: Tonyo's broken past explains his hesitation and eventual commitment to helping Lea.

• tonyo
• tokyo
• sapporo
• broken heart
• move

Lea didn't recognize Tonyo because she had only encountered him briefly while he was homeless and disheveled. Later, when he approached her as her neighbor, he had cleaned up and presented himself differently. Additionally, Lea was dealing with her blindness and adjusting to a new way of perceiving the world, making it harder for her to connect the two versions of the same person.

Foreshadowing: The transformation from homeless man to neighbor is gradual, with Tonyo earning her trust step by step.

• lea
• tonyo
• homeless
• recognition
• identity

The note was an invitation to meet at a beer house, which turned out to be a trap set by Tonyo (in his banana mascot persona). Tonyo sent the note hoping to bring Lea there, though his exact intention is unclear, whether he knew about Nobu's infidelity or simply wanted to bring her somewhere special. The note becomes significant because it leads directly to Lea's emotional breakdown and subsequent blindness.

Foreshadowing: The mysterious note sets the chain of events in motion, though its true purpose remains ambiguous.

• note
• beer house
• nobu
• betrayal
• invitation