Tradition dictates that 13-year-old witches had to leave home for a year on the night of a full moon to pursue their skill through training.
Thirteen-year-old trainee witch Kiki leaves home with her familiar, a talking black cat named Jiji. She flies on her broomstick to the port city of Koriko. While trying to find somewhere to live, Kiki is pursued by Tombo Kopoli,
a geeky boy obsessed with aviation who admires her flying ability.
In exchange for accommodation, Kiki helps Osono, the kindly and heavily pregnant owner of a bakery. She opens a "Witch Delivery Business",
delivering goods by broomstick.