In Japan 1918, Jiro Horikoshi, a young boy living in a provincial town, dreams of being a fighter pilot, but his poor eyesight forbids it. After he reads an aviation magazine, Jiro dreams he meets the famous Italian aircraft designer Caproni, who tells him that building planes is better than flying them. Five years later, Jiro is traveling to Tokyo by train to study engineering. He meets a young girl named Naoko traveling with her maid; when the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 hits, Naoko s maid breaks her leg, and Jiro carries her to Naoko s family. He leaves without giving his name.
