42-year-old Utsumi Takayuki works for Second Division of Hinode Advertising's Planning and Sales Department. He was transferred from the General Affairs Department one year ago, but he keeps delivering the worst sales performance. Utsumi is not eloquent, poor at dealing with things and is a pushover too. He always gets reprimanded by his boss Dozono Shoko. His only pleasure is skipping work, going to the public bath in the day on a weekday and gulping a beer down his dry throat after that. Utsumi cannot resist the temptation when he sees a public bath during working hours despite his sense of guilt. On this day too, he calls his company with the excuse that he has urgent business and walks through the door of a public bath in high spirits. When he pays the fee, takes off his suit and enters the bath, the best moment awaits him.

Shimako, who works for a travel agency in Tokyo, loves Scandinavia and lives alone in a small apartment surrounded by Scandinavian goods, food, music, and other items that make her feel like she's in Finland. One day, the president of the company where she works suddenly announces the company's bankruptcy, and this leads her to develop feelings for her favorite country, Finland.

After her father suddenly passes away 27 year old Hanuka Shinomiya finds herself the inexperienced owner of her late fathers talent management company. After the company staff quit Hanuka is left with just one client, a 48 year old one hit wonder singer named Ryuji Sakuraba who hasn't seen success since 1999. With no other clients and a box of Ryuii's unsold CD's, the two embark on a promotional Japanese tour where they stay at "shabby" hotels and experience the delights of discount dining.

One day, on their way home from school, the topic of cooking onigiri comes up. Anne comes up with an idea to make the ideal onigiri with a lot of okoge (scorched rice).