Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. Nominated for an Oscar for Best International Feature Film. Winner of Best Actor and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Cannes, and nominated for the Palme d'Or.