Synopsis
Toma Kentaro (Sato Koichi) is a sales executive for a camera manufacturer. He lives alone with his 20 year-old daughter, having previously divorced his wife. One day, he strikes up a friendship with a client, Togashi Juzo (Nishimura Masahiko), the president of Togashi Camera. Toma is initially at a loss how to relate to a new middle-aged friend, but affected by Togashi's sincere and generous nature, Toma gradually learns to trust him. At the same time, Toma also meets Shinohara Kishiko (Kichise Michiko), the owner of a pottery store, with whom he eventually travels to the Hunza Valley. As Toma and his new friends share their deepest thoughts and fears, they find themselves searching for alternatives to their current lives.
One day, the three friends meet Keisuke, a 4 year-old boy, emotionally wounded by life with his abusive mother. Keisuke is wary, but instinctively takes to Kishiko and through her, warms to Toma and Togashi. Soon, Toma encounters a mysterious photograph. The photograph is just of a chair sitting in the empty plains, but somehow the image pierces his heart. The four become convinced that the photo is their Shangri La, and decide to journey to the Hunza Valley, the last Shangri La on earth, to discover Keisuke and their own futures. Traveling through the vast open plains, they encounter unfamiliar emotions and values, leading each to their own discoveries awaiting them at their journey's end. The viewer can only imagine, when they finally reach their Shangri La, what will they find in the majestic landscape and how they will embark on their respective futures.