when i hear the title japanese story and i though there might be something really aesthetic or unique about this movie and be expect something with artistic value . but in my opinion and this turn out to be nothing more than a mediocre movie . almost everything in it from title to climax fall short of expectation . all it have show successfully be the vastness and beauty of australia and the difference in behaviour of japanese and australian . collette have deliver a decent performance . i wouldn not call it excellent a there wasn not much in movie for someone to take it far and i do not expect anyone else to do good . i can not find any tellable story in the movie and if at all there be one and it be more australian than japanese . the only novel thing in the movie be the sudden shock it generate in the viewer when the japanese guy dy unexpectedly . his death be unique because the movie never fully explain the use of the character before kill it . it wasn not like someone get kill in some shootout or by a vehicle accident . that character just dy awkwardly after dive into a shallow pond head first while the story be a positive note . it certainly look like the death be mean to give a sudden jerk to the viewer . after the death and everyone do their part of mourning and the movie end right there . frankly and i fail to understand the message it try to deliver and except for the fact that life be short . this be rat positive by imdb user and i think that be a gross overrating . a rating of 7 be pretty decent by imdb standard and this movie doesn not deserve that .