Yeongdo

The small town by the sea where Hoonie, Yangjin, and Sunja lived and operated the boardinghouse, Yeongdo is a small Korean town whose residents live simpler lives than those in Japan. Despite the poverty and hardship of her young life, Sunja longs for Yeongdo after she leaves it to live in Osaka and Tokyo.

Ikaino, Osaka

The hardscrabble and poor Korean ghetto in Osaka, Ikaino is nearly the only place where Koreans can live in Osaka. Despite the fact that the Baeks were wealthy in Korea, they can only afford a meager shack in Ikaino, a place where they live for many decades.

Tokyo

Noa is the first to move to Tokyo, where he attends Waseda University. Later, Hansu, Mozasu, Sunja, and Kyunghee move to Tokyo for the city's expanded opportunities; Solomon is born in the city and thus has a more worldly perspective and upbringing than many...