In small czech town named Jilemnice live unfortunate, but brave and jovial woman Štěpa Kiliánová, whose only desire was to fill the void in her virgin life. In despair and excessive trust, she married a sardonic, reclusive man, former lieutenant and gambler Pavel Malina, whose only wish was finally found peace and forgetting the past. They lived through unrequited love, dislike and disappointment. But no one knew that her groom begin to show signs of cerebral disease, which in the coming years engulf his sanity.

在文明开化的明治时代，在一个小村庄里，有个叫巳之助的少年孤儿，平时靠帮村民干活养活自己。有次进城，他见到街上一盏盏被点亮的煤油灯，大开眼界的他第一次感受到“文明开化”，于是，他决心要用煤油灯照亮自己的小村庄。很快，方便好用的煤油灯受到村里人欢迎，巳之助的生意也越来越好，他顺利成为一名煤油灯商人。后来他与小雪结婚，并且有了一双儿女，日子过得很幸福。 　　但是后来当他再次进城，却发现城里家家户户都装上了电灯，已经没有人用煤油灯了。这次的“文明开化”让他感到十分恐慌。随后巳之助的小村庄也传来了要通电的消息，巳之助感觉到自己的煤油灯将被电灯取代，却无法阻止通电计划。在一个夜里，他潜入区长的家里想要纵火，但是他突然意识到自己的错误，他把自己最重要的东西忘记了…… 　　《爷爷的煤油灯》是日本青年动画制作者育成计划的参赛作品。