The character Withe ("widow" in German) is the maternal aunt of siblings Seita and Setsuko. Residing in Nishinomiya, she shelters them after their mother perishes in the Kobe firebombings and their father remains away with the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Initially sharing her household resources, she accepts supplies Seita salvages from their bombed home. As wartime scarcity deepens, she grows increasingly resentful of the siblings consuming food without contributing labor or ration tickets. She stresses the necessity of communal participation for survival under rationing, criticizing Seita for lacking employment or household assistance.

Her relationship with the siblings frays amid recurring disputes over resources. She pressures Seita to sell their deceased mother's kimonos for rice, an act distressing Setsuko, and openly contrasts their situation with her own family's sacrifices, demanding, "Why should the lunch for those that work for the country and those that just sit around all day be the same?"

Her insistence on economic pragmatism drives Seita to leave with Setsuko. Later, when Seita attempts to barter with farmers, one advises returning to his aunt's household to access rations, indicating it remained a viable survival option. Seita refuses.

Her background is defined solely by her familial tie and role as a war widow managing household survival amidst severe deprivation.