The film takes place in Esashi, a port town on Japan′s northern island of Hokkaido, prosperous since the late Edo era with the growth of the northern fishing fleets. The story tells of the resurrection of a friendship between two former high school classmates. The lead character Tetsuro (38) has taken the long trip back home from Tokyo for the traditional Buddhist ceremony to mark the 49th day since his grandmother passed away. During his time back home, he bumps into his old high school sweetheart, Yuki. Although both have taken different paths, the distance soon closes as they go drinking to reminisce about their days in the school yacht club. Things escalate and before he knows it, Tetsuro has pledged to make a continuous circumnavigation of Hokkaido under sail. From this impromptu start, the journey begins, rousing Tetsuro′s former classmates from their settled lives, spanning the island from south to north before arriving at an unexpected finish. While touching on larger issues of rural depopulation and the continuing political dispute with Russia over the Sakhalin islands, the story dwells more importantly on one man′s personal journey as he moves from the capital and arrives at a decision to devote himself to his birthplace. On another level, with its depictions of Hokkaido′s incredible seascapes, mountain ranges and incredible native flora and fauna, the story weaves a paean to nature amid the drama. Coupled with an upbeat pop soundtrack, this film is sure to appeal to a wide age group.
