Set in Kyoto, Japan, a love story takes place between Hajime and Reika. Hajime is a handsome young man, who is usually a second quicker than everyone else and straightforward. He works at the post office. Reika is a young woman, who is usually a step slower than everyone else. After Valentine's Day, Hajime wakes up and is unable to remember what happened that day.
Cinematography
Kyoto as a living clock—seasons shift like heartbeats.
Direction
Yamashita's deadpan magic makes absurdity feel intimate.
Score
Radio DJ narration weaves time loops into everyday soundscapes.
Director
Nobuhiro Yamashita
Masaki Okada
Hajime Sumeragi
Kaya Kiyohara
Reika Chōsokabe
Rion Fukumuro
Sakurako
Shohei Shofukutei
Radio DJ
Matsumoto Kiyo
Emiri
Yoshiyoshi Arakawa
Ken Mikurube
Masaya Katō
Heibē Sumeragi
Takaya Yamauchi
Pyrotechnician
Yuki Katayama
Mai Sumeragi
Hinata Hiiragi
Young Hajime
Shohei Shofukutei
Photo Shop Owner
Aki Hano
Kiyomi Sumeragi
Ken Shimizu
Mitsuru
Shima Ise
Ozawa
Yuzuna Nagase
Young Reika
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is a Japanese remake of the 2010 Chinese film 'One Second Ahead, One Second Behind,' originally set in Beijing.
The post office setting carries nostalgic weight in Japan—postal workers once held elite civil servant status, making Hajime's 'ordinary' job quietly aspirational.
JP
