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In the immediate aftermath of World War II in 1945, the remote northern Japanese island of Shikotan is occupied by Soviet Red Army troops. Brothers Junpei and Kanta Seno, inspired by Kenji Miyazawa's literary masterpiece Night on the Galactic Railroad, struggle to understand the abrupt disappearance of their sovereign lifestyle as their schoolhouse is commandeered. Despite language barriers and geopolitical animosity, Junpei forms a tender, innocent cross-cultural friendship with Tanya, the blonde daughter of the Soviet garrison commander, discovering shared humanity through music, games, and childhood imagination.
⚠ Background — may contain spoilers
Soviet authorities arrest the boys' father Tatsuo for smuggling rations to starving islanders, exiling the entire family to a harsh Siberian gulag labor camp. During the freezing winter transit and subsequent internment, young Kanta contracts fatal tuberculosis. Junpei recites passages from Night on the Galactic Railroad to comfort his dying brother in the prison infirmary before Kanta passes away. Decades later, an elderly Junpei returns to Shikotan for a memorial service, dancing the traditional island festival dance as Kanta's spirit and Tanya's memory watch over him.
