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Nodo Jiman is popular NHK television show in which amateur singers from across Japan sing their hearts out before a nationwide audience. This film -- directed by Kazuyuki Izutsu -- gives a fictional treatment of the dreams and struggles of a handful of potential contestants as the show is set to broadcast from a small town. The contestants are winnowed down from over 2,000 applicants to ten finalists. The denizens of the town that dream of fame and glory include a high school girl who is the star member of the karaoke club; a yakatori owner (Kohei Otomo), who frets when the health inspector times his visit at the same time as the audition; Kataro (Kazuo Kitamura), an old mushroom grower who sings to communicate with his autistic grandson; and Reiko (Shigeru Muroi), a fading enka singer who is looking for one more shot in the limelight. Other contestants include a narcissistic cabbie (Naoto Takenaka); a straight-laced salariman (Daikichi Sugawara) who butchers his song's French lyrics; and a grandmother (Kyoko Asakiri), who sings "Ginza Can Can Musume". This film played at the 1998 Pusan Film Festival.