Mr. Inoguchi is working to bring back the great flocks of cranes once so common in Japanese skies - no easy task since these splendid creatures are now an endangered species. Inoguchi not only breeds cranes at the Okayama Prefectural Conservation Center, he must act as a surrogate parent teaching his charges to fly. While aware of the difficulties, Inoguchi is determined that the crane, so important in Japanese culture, will survive for the next generation to marvel at.