Rihaku, an affluent elderly Kyoto resident, masterminds high-interest loans and circulates counterfeit Denki Bran liquor. His opulent trove of rare books, antiques, and spirits fuels eccentric challenges—drinking bouts and blistering hot pot contests—where victors claim treasures from his vaults, among them a childhood picture book deeply valued by the story’s heroine. Beyond monetary schemes, he commands agents to pilfer undergarments from youths, a peculiar practice influencing figures like the Underpants Leader. A climactic drinking duel against the female protagonist ends in his defeat, voiding all debts owed by attendees. Simultaneously, the God of Used Book Festivals seizes his literary hoard, scattering it to the populace. Rihaku’s past harbors a bout of Spanish flu that weakened his constitution, leaving him prone to sickness. He operates from a three-story mobile “train” serving as his headquarters. Adaptations depict him with features mirroring director Yasujirō Ozu, visually anchoring his role as a weaver of intersecting storylines through symbolic trials. His name echoes the poet Li Bai, underscoring themes of poetic destiny and human entanglement. By fabricating illicit liquor and staging surreal competitions, Rihaku ignites pivotal clashes and reconciliations, cementing his status as an enigmatic force steering the narrative’s tides.