1979 Selection

JAPAN 1979

Feature Film

The film depicts a week in the life of Jun, a boy of 20. He is a becheior, living in Tokyo and working in a small mechanics factory. He's very friendly with Yoko, a girl who works in an office, and he accepts her invitation to go away for a weekend with her. She dreams about the trip, makes plans and organizes everything. But Jun, once he has agreed, starts worrying what will happen if they go away together ? ln fact, his feelings for Yoko remain purely platonic, and don't lead to anything more. He can't respond to her advances.
Jun has sent some drawings to a competition run by a comic-strip magazine. Yoko was so certain he'd win that he writes a letter announcing his prize to his mother, who lives in a distant province and whom he hasn't seen for three years. But he doesn't post it. He didn't win the prize.
Every day Jun mingles with the morning and evening rush-hour crowd in the train to touch the female travellers, as boldly as he dares. It's the only way he can satisfy bis sexuel frustration. One day, Yoko sees him: she is shocked, and upset with him. Plans for the trip are ruined. Then Yoko disappears and Jun can't find her anywhere.
Finally Jun decides to leave, alone, for the province where he was born, an island whose former mining industry is now dead. He wanders about the ruins, but though he searches he cannot find his father's grave for which he had brought some chrysanthemums.
On the train going back, Jun resumes his old activities. He starts caressing the woman next to him...
It is the beginning of a surprising adventure, which will lead him to a new maturity.