In Mitsuyo KAKUTA’s Youkame no Semi (2007), Kiwako NONOMIYA attempts to flee from the police after kidnapping a baby born between Kiwako’s adulterous partner and his wife. After Kiwako was arrested, the baby, named Kaoru by Kiwako, was returned to Tokyo and begun the rest of her life with her parents. However, Kaoru could not understand her family in Tokyo; in addition, she could not build her own identity.
This study examines how Kaoru revives her memory through smells in Shodoshima, considering Kiwako’s conflict during motherhood, and explores the relationships between herself and the people who help her and Kaoru. Furthermore, the study shows how Kaoru, who grew up as Erina, takes back her identity with and her memory of Kiwako.