Following a near-death experience France's leading chef throws himself into a quest seeking the flavor that has confounded his life since he was defeated by a Japanese chef's bowl of noodles as a young man.

Men and women caught up in a downward spiral of corruption, discrimination, poverty and death are the focus of this detective-thriller/social-drama inspired by the unsolved 1984 kidnapping of a Japanese candy company president.

When a broadcasting company takes away its financial support from a symphony orchestra, some of the members refuse to admit defeat. The first violinist returns to his home and manages to get the orchestra back together for a grandiose performance, saved at the last minute by their original conductor -- and boding well for the future of the die-hard musicians.

Seizo, a doctor, and his beautiful younger wife, Reiko. At first glance, they appear to be a respectable and amicable couple, but Seizo suspects that Reiko has a young lover. One day, the couple goes to see a new Noh play, "The Curse of Ondine," organized by a medical association. At the venue, Reiko catches the attention of a man, and even the young man at the reception desk gives her a heated look. "Reiko says, "Noh is boring," but Seizo warns her not to fall asleep, since the audience is all related. However, when the Noh play begins and Reiko looks at Seizo, she finds that he is asleep. From this point on, the world of death in the Noh play and the world of life in which the two people exist become parallel. Reality and unreality intersect as if the two are acting out a Noh play, and the secrets hidden in their daily lives begin to seep out.

Shiro Amasuka, dead leader of the Shimbara Revolt is resurrected from hell with the desire of overthrowing the shogunate for killing his companions. To do this , he resurrects an army of living dead swordsmen. Between him and his goal, only Yagyu Jubei stands...

Tells of the childhood of two nine-year-old twins in a rural village in Japan after World War 2. Includes the boys relationships with their schoolteacher mother, civil servant father, elderly landlord, a rough new boy at the school, and three mysterious spirits in the form of old women.

Overnight, Paris is invaded - although peacefully - but the Chinese Army, and millions of Chinese people... It's the Nazi occupation all over again, with modern - funny - twists.

One day, Kyoko's precious only daughter, who works as an insurance salesperson, is suddenly kidnapped. This drama depicts the dual nature of "mother" and "woman" that is gradually revealed as a result of this incident.

The film is an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Takashi Kitajima.

The posthumous wish of Eiji's wife is for her ashes to be scattered in the ocean near her hometown. Eiji also learns that his wife letter for him at the post office before she died.