The grand story of Japan's post-war reconstruction is based on the actual story of an oil company's president, namely Tetsuzo Kunioka, who believed in the power of oil, as opposed to coal, to abet the country's re-emergence. He believes Japan's resurgence must be fueled by oil and not by coal. Japan is weak, in ruins and has a devastated citizenry. Foreign powers watch and the country is isolated, yet the man takes over an oil tanker on a secret mission to the oil-rich Iran.