[2] Jirō, who have lost is mother in the Great Kanto earthquake, is helping his father Genzō run soba stall and desires to board the ocean liner.

With the help of captain Hachirō Akinaga and officer Akinobu Matsuda, who both become his customers in the stall, Jirō joins the crew as an apprentice cook.

After that, Jirō and the crew begin accepting passengers and serve them on board as Hikawa Maru becomes cargo-passenger ship and returns to its North American route.

[5] The basis for the 3DCG of the Japanese ocean liner Hikawa Maru was the ship's model located at NYK Maritime Museum in Yokohama,[6] which began in May 2015.

[8] The dubbing was completed by late June 2015, with Keiko Toda doing the narration, and Chihiro Kusaka and Keisuke Kōmoto voicing the main character Jirō Hirayama.

[11] In August 2015, Japan Post Holdings released a limited edition frame postage stamp set based on Hikawa Maru Monogatari.

[13] Hikawa Maru Monogatari had a VIP screening at Meiji Yasuda Life Hall in Shinjuku, Tokyo on July 24, 2015, and was released in Japan on August 22.

[6] Mushi Production planned to screen the film in community centers, schools, and overseas beyond October 2015 for the next three years,[2] with the goal to reach one million viewers.