Shurina is a 15-year-old high school student in Hita in southwestern Japan. Her world shifts when she’s cast as a kamikaze pilot in a play about World War II directed by her piano teacher and performed alongside her best friend, Yua.

Tasked with reciting the pilot’s farewell letter and portraying the brutal realities of war, Shurina is overwhelmed by the emotional weight of her role. To prepare, Shurina and Yua travel across Japan to visit World War II memorial sites, culminating in Okinawa, the site of their final performance. As the performance nears, can Shurina find the strength to honour the story she’s been entrusted to tell?

Japan: Girl Meets War is a documentary film by Cheng Herng Shinn.