During the American occupation, the citizens of Japan were encouraged to apply directly to General Mac Arthur
- ”if you have a problem, write a letter, this is what democracy means”
- & so write they did. Mac Arthur received over 500, 000 letters, letters of entreaty, rage, gratitude, complaint, even adoration. Twelve-year-old Fumi Tanaka has a problem
- her beautiful & beloved older sister, Sumiko, has disappeared. Determined to find her, Fumi enlists the help of her new classmate Aya, forcibly repatriated with her father from Canada after the war. Together, they write to Mac Arthur & deliver their letter into the reluctant hands of Corporal Matt Matsumoto, a Japanese-American GI whose job it is to translate the endless letters. When weeks pass & they hear nothing from Matt, the girls take matters into their own hands, venturing into the dark & dangerous world of the black market & dance halls. They`re unaware that their teacher, Kondo Sensei, moonlights as a translator of love letters, & that he holds the key to Sumiko`s safe return.