Sanpei is a young boy who lives with his grandpa in a small village in Akita and they both love fishing and are masters at it. His sister moved to Tokyo when their father died and blames it on the fishing. She thinks it's just a stupid play. Gyoshin, a bass professional fisher who lives and competes in America is in a slump and comes to the small village to try to find the joy of fishing again. Together, they all go to find the legendary big char of Yonakidani (The Crying Valley of The Night), which Sanpei's father once saw, but could never catch, before he died.

In a fading village in the Japanese countryside, the school is about to be closed, which weighs heavily on the students. Freshly arrived from Tokyo with his father after an acrimonious divorce, the shy Akira escapes into drawing and agrees to participate in a mural project to mark the end of the institution.