Why Aomori?

FADE IN.

INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY

Checking his phone images, PETER pauses.

PETER (V.O.)

Why am I so fond

of our December

2019 trip to Japan?

Pausing,

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I want to review and

insert photos in Google

Maps of all the places

my family have stayed

or visited. Why?

FLASHBACK

INT. CUSTOMS, NARITA AIRPORT - NIGHT (December 19, 2019)

A customs OFFICER (20s) is asking Peter's WIFE, who heads as Peter, SON and DAUGHTER as they take care of the baggage.

OFFICER

...Where to go?

PETER'S WIFE

Aomori.

OFFICER

(Casually)

Why?

Peter's wife is tongue-tied. Before she comes up with a reply, the customs officer let them pass without checking the baggage.

WIFE

(To Peter)

I don't know how to

explain to him. My

colleagues also

asked me the same

question.

PETER Easy - just say "never

been there"!

EXT. CAR RENTAL, NARITA - DAY (December 20, 2019)

Sunny. Peter's at the driver seat. Son navigates. Wife and Daughter sit in the middle row.

WIFE

(To Son)

Enter the map code

of our Sendai ryokan

into the car's GPS

system.

PETER

I've never been to

Sendai, although

you all were there

years ago.

WIFE

You went to Europe

with our elder daughter

and paid a visit to

your son.

Peter nods.

EXT. RYOKAN, MATSUSHIMA - DAY (December 21, 2019)

Sunny. As Peter drives off with the family on board, they wave goodbye to a LADY PROPRIETOR (60s) who have two POODLES in her arms.

WIFE

Next destination: Aomori.

MONTAGE OF THE FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE MOTORING TOWARDS AOMORI ALONG THE TOHOKU EXPRESSWAY (December 21, 2019)

A.Passing Sendai's tourist spots, we see their white Alphard entering the expressway's ETC toll booth.

B. Peter drives in and his wife drives out the sunny Chojahara Service Area.

C. After parking their car near snow-covered grounds at Mount Iwate Service Area, Peter buys a scarf at the supermarket.

D. Peter looks sleepy at the driving wheel. He pulls inside the small Kosaka Parking Area where sitting benches are covered with snow.

E. We see their white Alphard exiting the expressway's ETC toll booth.

F. Peter's wife drives the family to the snow-covered Fujimiko Park and parks their car there.

H. Arriving Hirosaki at night, Peter parks the car at the Dormy Inn.

I. Maneuvering dark roads under some snow falls, Peter's wife drives the family to the Aomori Airport.

J. At Aomori Airport, their ELDER DAUGHTER with a baggage joins them.

END MONTAGE

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.)

But for the decision

to visit Aomori, our

elder daughter can

to fly anywhere from

Fukuoka to join us.

FLASHBACK

INT. IVOR EVAN'S HALL, LONDON UNIVERSITY - DAY (December 1986)

Sitting in a desk and reading a map, Peter (32) is thinking.

PETER (V.O.)

My motoring plan is to

go as north as Inverness,

as south as Southampton,

and as west as Land's

End. I'll travel to Harvich

in the east next summer.

INT. HALL, UNIVERSITY OF STRASBOURG - DAY (July 1987)

Sitting in a desk and reading a map. Peter (33) is thinking.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

On the last day of my

motoring on the continent,

I'd drive from Nice back

to Strasbourg via Geneva.

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I made all those trips.

I drove 14 hours from

Nice back to Strasbourg.

Car rental was already

expensive and I didn't

use toll roads.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

For the recent trip, we'd

to hire the Alphard for

five people and their

baggage.

Peter checks his phone images.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

My wife was so smart

to arrange a prepaid

ETC card, allowing

unlimited use during

our motoring.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Thus the more toll

roads we used, we got

more value for money.

Peter's smiling.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

How could all these

considerations be

summarized to the

Customs Officer and

others?

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) Hours of motoring aside,

we did go to exotic places

within 5 days - from no-

snow zones to snow zones.

Peter looks pleased.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Yes, driving from Tokyo

to Aomori and return

during Winter time was

exciting and delightful.

So, why not!

Reflecting.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) What I love most is that