Chimaki and Norimaki are two kittens who used to live with a woman they call Mademoiselle Rocco, until they got separated from her in the confusion of a crowded airport at New Year's. Since then they have been hitchhiking from one place to another - sometimes serendipitously, sometimes sniffing out cat-lovers who might give them a ride. But now they've found themselves a new home with the Horai family, an eccentric cast of characters who all have one thing in common: their love for good food. Inspired by the newspaper column written by Madam Horai, Chimaki, the endearingly curious older brother who likes to think he's more mature than his happy-go-lucky baby brother, decides to keep his own diary. His journal follows the change of seasons from early spring, when the kittens join the Horai family, to midwinter, with each entry featuring all kinds of delectable dishes.