Yûji Hiratai

The Water Flows to the Sea

High school student Naotatsu travels to live at his uncle's house. In the pouring rain, he is picked up at the nearest station by a strange adult woman named Sakaki who guides him to an unexpected share house where a life together begins.

Photograph of Memories

A frustrated young woman returns from Tokyo to her hometown in Toyama where she meets an old woman who lives alone. There she slowly finds purpose in life by taking "photographs" that spin memories instead of ghosts.

Underdog: Part One

Tells the story of three bottom-dog boxers who gets used as punching bags. Pro boxer Suenaga Akira fell off the path to greatness but still tries to crawl his way to the top. Omura Ryuta is a youngster who grew up in foster care. Miyagi Shun, a TV celebrity with famous parents, takes a shot at boxing as part of a TV show. Three underdogs with very different back stories put their pride on the line as they exchange blows.

Farewell Family

During the one-year memorial of his late beloved father, a soon-to-be father (Hoshi Ishida) struggles to reconcile his feelings of loss and receives support from his mother, sister and wife. -JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film

Vigilante

Original work from director Irie Yu of Memoirs of a Murder and the "8000 MILES: SR Saitama's Rapper" series. Set in a provincial city, the story depicts men who are trapped in a vicious downward spiral. Eldest son Ichiro absconded as a youth. Second son Jiro is a city councilman. Youngest son Saburo manages a call girl service. The death of their father brings together three brothers who have pursued different paths in life, and the situation deteriorates as their inescapable fates intertwine once again.

Moriyamachu Driving School

Kiyotaka Sato (Shuhei Nomura) is a university student. He is sociable, but he looks like he doesn't have interest in those around him. During his summer vacation, Kiyotaka Sato plans to get his driver's license to impress schoolmate Matsuda (Yukino Kishii). At this time, a yakuza boss (Ken Mitsuishi) orders Todoroki (Kento Kaku) to get his driver’s license. Todoroki doesn't show his feelings outwardly. Later, Todoroki drives a car without a driver’s license and he hits Kiyotaka Sato. To cover up the accident, Kiyotaka Sato is placed in a car and taken to away. He arrives at an unofficial driving school. The driving school is run by the Uehara family. There, Kiyotaka Sato and Todoroki learn that they graduated from the same high school. They spend their summer at the driving school.

The Noise

Underground people who exhale toxic gas appear in Tokyo's S-Ward, which is dealing with construction noise from urban development projects. Everyone panic, but it turns out that five middle-aged guys are unaffected by the poisonous gas. They undergo vigorous training to fight the underworld people, but are they going to be able to save the world…?

100 Yen Love

Slacker Ichiko gets into a fight with her younger sister and begins to live on her own, working the late shift at a 100 yen shop. On her way home, she passes a gym and meets boxer Kano who trains there in silence...

Nekonade

The highly disciplined human resources manager Taro Onizuka starts to heal and change as he raises the kitten he found in a park.

Beyond the Fence

Tired of life, Morita climbs up to a roof with a suicide note. But there he meets the drifter Tommy, who convinces Morita to climb Mt. Fuji with him. Morita begins to learn about Tommy’s past, where he was betrayed by his best friend. The two men, with secrets they cannot tell, decide to face their pasts. -- Nippon Connection