Tomoya Oku

Hatao Yamamoto was a Japanese prisoner of war detained in a post second World War Siberian gulag. He believed that he would be able to reunite with his wife and children in Japan and fought to keep hope alive for his fellow POWs.

Once a powerhouse in the Hakone Ekiden, Meisei Gakuin University has failed to qualify for the main race for two consecutive years. With their fourth-year ace returning from injury, the team enters the crucial qualifying race determined to earn its long-awaited return to Hakone. Meanwhile, the Sports Department at Dainichi Television is preparing for its Hakone Ekiden broadcast. Chief producer Tokushige Ryo faces mounting pressure, unexpected crises, and difficult decisions as race