Hiroki Kawata

Majimu, a timid office temp in Okinawa, stumbles upon a company contest and proposes an idea no one expects—crafting local rum from sugarcane. With no experience but growing passion, she faces skeptical bosses, family doubts, and island politics. As challenges mount, her bold dream sparks a movement that could change everything. A heartwarming story based on the true tale of ambition, identity, and finding purpose in the unlikeliest place.

Based on 16-year-old writer Sarie Hinakura’s award winning story Jellyfish is centered around two adolescent girls disconnected from their immediate environment of school and mates. They first get together while staring into a jellyfish tank at a local aquarium. The relationship that ensues eventually faces tension from the divergent personalities of the two protagonists, one of whom explores a heterosexual relationship with a fellow student. Jealousy and the wrath of a lover spurned are inevitable spillovers.

In the final days of the Pacific War, two Japanese soldiers, a senior officer and a local recruit, are cornered during the battle of Okinawa and hide in a banyan tree, only coming down for food. Unaware the war has ended, the two await reinforcements for two years. As they wait, they discover differences in rank, worldviews and motivation.

When Teruaki Nakamura transfers to laid-back Okinawa, he falls for the lively Kyan-san—but her dialect is a complete mystery to him. With Higa-san translating, Teru's misunderstanding-filled island life takes off... and subtle hints suggest Higa-san might want his heart too. On this serene island, love flows as freely as the ocean breeze!

When Ozu’s older sister and her husband suddenly passed away after an accident, 32-year-old Ozu temporarily moved to Fukushima from Tokyo in order to look after his 12-year-old niece Mei during the summer vacation. He has a modern way of thinking but is lethargic about everything in his daily life. In Fukushima, he meets the local residents who have been living positively with the aim of recovering from the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as the immigrants who have come from outside of the prefecture in order to realize their aspirations. As he resides alongside his artistic niece, their bond starts to deepen, and through his interactions with Mei and the many residents of Fukushima, he starts to change and grow as a person.