[1] The film stars Gabriel Arcand as Pierre, a professor from Quebec who is on sabbatical in Okinawa to reevaluate his life after the death of his friend, and is drawn into a love affair with Junko (Youki Kudoh), a local woman fleeing an abusive husband who offers to be his tour guide.

[2] The film's screenplay was partially inspired by Gagnon's own trip to Japan following the death of one of his closest friends.

[5] Writing for Variety, Ronnie Scheib noted that the film reversed "the usual Westerner-in-the-Orient stereotype, where the ambitious hero learns to slow down and smell the roses.

"[6] For the Montreal Gazette, Brendan Kelly praised both Arcand's and Kudoh's performances, but wrote that he had difficulty believing in the core relationship between the characters.

He ultimately concluded that "maybe it's uneven but it still remains a film that stays with you long after the final credits roll.