A signalman at a remote train station in the heartland of Japan receives news that the job he has laboured at all his life is coming to an end as the train company have decided his station is uneconomic and are set to close it soon. Facing an uncertain future and recently widowed, the signalman takes solace from the past; a past that he increasingly comes to realise was laden with the wrong priorities.

Director - Yasuo Furuhata

Written by - Jiro Asada/Yoshiki Iwama

Starring:-

Ken Takakura - Otomatsu Sato
Shinobu Ootake - Shizue Sato
Ryoko Hirosue - Yukiko Sato
Hidetaka Yoshioka - Hideo Sugiura
Masanobu Ando - Toshiyuki Yoshioka
Ken Shimura - Hajime Yoshioka

My thoughts: A very heartwarming film about a railstation worker who does not know what the future lies ahead as the local station is facing closure for lack of passengers.
The younger townspeople are moving from the little town to the bigger cities in order to find work and they leave the older people behind.
Ken Takakura is known for his action/yakuza flicks in the 70/80's and also he is known in the west for his role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain as a salary man cop. 
This must be the first Ken takakura film where he displays his sentimental side, a stunning performance. The remote town in Hokkaido, covered in snow, is beautifully shot. Flashbacks from the past of the railstation worker. A great film that is worth 2 hrs of your time.
Another example of Japan is best at making slow paced and heartwarming dramas!