An old man is gunned down by a younger man in an elevator. Later, Fujita gives a lift to a hitchhiker while driving his truck to Akaoka city. Akaoka has the Ekin festival in July when the Kabuki paintings of Hirose Kinzō are shown. Stopping at a roadside diner, Fujita suspects they are being watched by two yakuza. The men follow Fujita, but the hitchhiker, Yano, escapes them by secretly staying at the diner. The yakuza visit Kayo, Yano's former lover, who is in Utsukosaki fishing village near Akaoka. They are looking for Yano, accusing him of killing their boss' deputy. Meamwhile Fujita arrives at Utsukosaki and takes an Ekin painting to the Yafune Shrine for their exhibition. Meanwhile Yano secretly meets Kayo and although angry with him, she insists he fulfills an old promise to take her to the Ekin festival. However, while there, Kayo goes to by some beers and the yakuza find Yano and fatally stab him in the back. He lives long enough to see Kayo once more before he dies.
高知県をトラックで行くフジタは、故郷の赤岡町に行きたいという男・矢野を乗せてあげる。赤岡町といえば、「絵金祭り」が開催される場所。幕末の絵師・弘瀬金蔵（通称・絵金）の描いた屏風絵を商店街の軒先に展示するという夏祭りだ。道中、フジタは矢野をつけ狙うヤクザらしい男の存在に気づく。実は矢野もヤクザで、ある組の若頭を殺したために追われる身となっているのだ。
フジタの機転で、なんとか追手から逃れた矢野は、赤岡のそばの漁村・うつぼ崎にいるかつての恋人・カヨの元を訪ねるが…。
