As Christmas approaches, people flock to Sapporo's terminal for expressway buses that connect this major city with destinations across the vast prefecture of Hokkaido. From early morning until late at night, passengers travel on buses that offer attractive fares for those on a budget. Among them, a young man who traveled for 5 hours to spend Christmas time with his girlfriend; a woman who regularly makes a journey of several hundred kilometers to go and take care of her elderly mother; and a time-strapped businessman using an overnight bus as he departs on a business trip. For 3 midwinter days, we listened to the tales of the people starting or finishing journeys at this bus terminal.

In Fukuoka Prefecture, there is a unique shrine dedicated to a deity of love. The approach to the shrine and its gate are adorned with hearts, and it has become a magnet for people in love, dreaming of getting married, or hoping for wedded bliss. But recently, a surprising number of visitors say they have never fallen in love with someone. People in love with the idea of falling in love come here to ask for divine help in finding their ideal partner. For 3 days around Valentine's Day, when the shrine is at its busiest with over 1,000 visitors from across Japan, we listened to the thoughts of people placing their hopes in the shrine's deity of love.