하얀 눈으로 뒤덮인 시골 마을 종착역, 호로마이. 평생 호로마이 역을 지켜온 철도원, 오토(타카구라 켄 분). 눈이 내리면 그는 고개 들어 눈송이를 쏟아내는 먼 하늘을 하염없이 바라본다. 지난 날 잃어버린 소중한 이들의 흔적을 찾아. 17년전 겨울 어느날, 철도 위에서 오토가 열차를 점검하고 있을 때 우유빛 고운 얼굴의 아내가 그에게 달려왔다. 아기를 가졌다며 기쁨에 어쩔 줄 몰라하는 천진난만한 아내, 시즈에(오타케 시노부 분). 오토의 넓은 어깨에 안겨 너무나 행복해하는 그녀를 오토는 포근하게 안아주었다. 오랜 기다림 끝에 태어난 딸에게 오토와 시즈에는 '눈의 아이'라는 뜻의 유키코란 이름을 지어줬다. 하지만 행복은 잠시. 유키코가 태어난 지 두 달 쯤 된 어느 날, 급작스런 열병에 걸린 아이를 데리고 병원에 갔던 아내는 눈처럼 차갑게 식어버린 딸의 시신을 안고 돌아왔고, 딸의 죽음을 지켜보지 못한 채 어김없이 역을 지키고 있던 오토의 가슴엔 깊은 상처가 자라나기 시작했다. 그리고 또다시 아내 시즈에가 깊은 병을 얻어 큰 병원에 입원하는 날도 오토는 역에 남아 슬프도록 맑은 눈으로 자신을 바라보는 아내를 홀로 보내고 말았다. 그렇게 떠난 아내마저 쓸쓸히 유키코가 있는 하늘로 가버리고. 오토의 정년 퇴임을 앞둔 새해 아침. 눈 쌓인 플랫폼을 치우고 있던 오토에게 낯선 여자아이 하나가 인사를 한다. 가슴에 인형을 안고 천진스레 웃고 있는 소녀는 처음부터 그를 알고 있었다는 듯 성큼 오토에게 다가오는데...
Romantic love story of Russian physician Gusev and Japanese woman Keiko takes place in time of fighting of Russian and Japanese scientists against poliomyelitis epidemic broken out in Japan in 1959.
The life and travels of adventurer Naomi Uemura, who disappeared in Alaska in 1984. A member of the first Japanese expedition to reach the summit of Mt Everest in 1970, Uemura also accomplished several "firsts". He was the first man to reach the North Pole solo, climb Denali solo, and float down the Amazon river solo. In the film, Uemura returns to Tokyo after a stint in Siorapaluk in Northern Greenland. In Tokyo, he reconnects with an old friend and, over coffee, shares his life story - from his days as a college dropout to his successful expedition to the top of Everest.
Fujishita Kumi is an ordinary office lady. Longing to escape her poor fishing village for a life in the city, she came to Tokyo. One day while alone in the office, she's spotted rolling up her pantyhose by the window cleaner Kurata Katsuo. This was to be their first encounter. Completely enchanted by Kumi, Katsuo does everything he can to get close to her. Katsuo is a man with a terrible past. With the death of his coal miner father, his family was broken up and he was forced to follow in his father's footsteps laboring away in the mud. In spite of this, Katsuo still has dreams. He dreams of living in Resiporuko, a utopian fantasyland that exists only in his imagination. When Katsuo and Kumi finally meet they find themselves unable to communicate. Katsuo spends all his time talking about Resiporuko with a starry look in his eyes, while Kumi dreams of living the high life in the city. One day when the two travel to the seashore, they discover a wounded seagull.
Fujishita Kumi is an ordinary office lady. Longing to escape her poor fishing village for a life in the city, she came to Tokyo. One day while alone in the office, she's spotted rolling up her pantyhose by the window cleaner Kurata Katsuo. This was to be their first encounter. Completely enchanted by Kumi, Katsuo does everything he can to get close to her. Katsuo is a man with a terrible past. With the death of his coal miner father, his family was broken up and he was forced to follow in his father's footsteps laboring away in the mud. In spite of this, Katsuo still has dreams. He dreams of living in Resiporuko, a utopian fantasyland that exists only in his imagination. When Katsuo and Kumi finally meet they find themselves unable to communicate. Katsuo spends all his time talking about Resiporuko with a starry look in his eyes, while Kumi dreams of living the high life in the city. One day when the two travel to the seashore, they discover a wounded seagull.
