Rudolf, Mao Inoue is a domestic little black cat from the quiet town of Gifu in the heart of Japan, a creature who has never left his home and is lovingly cared for by the young girl Rie. When Rie's mother asks her to visit her grandmother to bring some food, Rudolf follows, curious about the world beyond the doorstep and eager to taste life beyond his familiar walls. A run-in with a fishmonger sends him tumbling into a trailer, where a broom thwarts his attempt to escape and knocks him unconscious. He awakens inside the trailer, and with a burst of instinct, slips out to explore the town’s hidden corners.
There, Rudolf crosses paths with Gottalot, a big, friendly, bobtailed street cat who lets him sleep beneath a temple’s eaves. The next morning, they wander the town together, and Rudolf learns that Gottalot has earned many names from the people he’s met. When he asks whether Gottalot is a pet cat, the response is a silent, unspoken doubt, and Gottalot departs in a brief, stubborn huff. Soon after, Rudolf meets another feline named Buchi, a cat who loves martial-arts poses and yells “Hyah” as he imitates the moves. Buchi tells Rudolf that Gottalot earned the nickname the Junk Tiger and warns him of a dangerous dog nearby.
Buchi, who offers Rudolf a shelter at his home, is interrupted when he spots a beautiful Siamese cat and dashes off after her, bidding Rudolf a quick goodbye. Back at the temple, Gottalot explains that next to Devil’s house is where Gottalot’s former owner used to live before moving to the United States, a life that left Gottalot with one lasting gift: the ability to read. As Rudolf and Gottalot run into [Devil], the former owner’s parting gift to Gottalot becomes a point of contention, with Devil looking down on him since he became a stray.
Buchi’s tale leads Rudolf and Gottalot to infiltrate a school, sneaking into a classroom where books spark Rudolf’s curiosity. He begins to learn to read, and Gottalot reminds him that writing will be the next step. The days in the classroom pass slowly as Rudolf grows more confident with Japanese characters and the idea of literacy. One day, through a teacher’s television, Rudolf glimpses his hometown again—Gifu, famous for its cable cars and castles—and, overwhelmed by longing, resolves to find a way home. He climbs into a truck bound for Gifu, only to discover he’s boarded a freezer truck. Gottalot and Buchi chase after the vehicle and manage to pull Rudolf free, though Gottalot chastises him for nearly freezing to death.
Autumn arrives, and a poster about a tour bus to Gifu sparks a fresh plan. Buchi is enticed by a Scottish Fold named Misha, who reveals the bus schedule: November 10 at 6:30 AM. The day grows complicated when [Devil] injures Gottalot during a later encounter, forcing Rudolf to alert their schoolteacher and seek medical help for the ailing cat. The teacher reassures the group that Gottalot will recover, and the bond between Rudolf and Gottalot deepens as they bid each other a temporary farewell. Rudolf thanks Gottalot for watching over him and, with a heavy heart, says goodbye.
Back in the classroom, Rudolf and his friends discuss the need to look after each other, and Rudolf faces [Devil] in a confrontation where he, with Buchi’s strategic feint, gains the upper hand. Devil, who cannot swim, agrees to stop bullying cats, swearing to change his ways. Rudolf returns to Gottalot, who confirms that the tour bus has already left, and that he will not be returning to Gifu. The months pass, and Gottalot recovers physically but remains withdrawn, rarely stepping outside.
Spring brings new warmth and new dynamics: Buchi and Misha begin dating, and Devil grows calmer after the fight, explaining that Gottalot and Devil were once friends before Gottalot’s life as a stray fractured that friendship. In a gesture of goodwill, Devil offers Rudolf his food as a token of apology, and Gottalot helps Rudolf learn to read license plates and decipher Chinese text, expanding their understanding of the world beyond their immediate surroundings. Then comes the surprising news: Gottalot’s owner plans to move to the United States, and the cat’s life with him will change again.
Rudolf says farewell to Gottalot, Buchi, and Misha as the truck he rides on travels from prefecture to prefecture, a journey punctuated by a flat tire but ultimately bringing him home to Tokyo. There, he discovers another black kitten—his younger brother—who had lived in the house a year after Rudolf disappeared. Knowing the family cannot have two cats, Rudolf makes the painful decision to return to Tokyo alone. Back in the city, Rudolf reconnects with Buchi and Misha and decides to stay in Tokyo, where he encounters Gottalot once more. Gottalot explains that his former owner has returned, having found success in America after selling his business, and life begins to settle in a new way.
That night, Gottalot, Buchi, Misha, and Rudolf—now renamed Crow—share a quiet dinner with a small circle of stray cats, learning that Devil can swim after all. Under the open night sky, the group looks ahead to an uncertain but hopeful future, bound by friendship, curiosity, and the open road they already traveled together.
