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The Gondola in this movie is the window-washing rig that a former resident of a fishing village uses to clean the glass on a high-rise apartment building. Ryo is the window-washer, and when he observes the trials and tribulations of a largely abandoned young schoolgirl, he is moved to make her acquaintance. Despite the disparity in their cultures, ages, and relative wealth, the two provide one another with much-needed support. For Ryu, it is the most meaningful contact he has had since he left his much-loved village up north. For the girl Kagari, his is almost the only genuine concern anyone has shown her. At one point, the window-washer takes the girl to visit his home village and gives her beloved pet bird, now dead, a fine funeral.