In August 1945 Soviet agent Kasym-khan Chadiyarov (Asanali Ashimov) works undercover in Manchuria, impersonating a Japanese businessman Ishijima. His mission is to prepare forthcoming Soviet operations against the Japanese Kwantung Army.

1944, Japan. One of the kamikazes, by misfortune, survives. When he jumps with a parachute, he lands in Nardaran — right in the house of Gulbala, who is nicknamed “the Japanese.” When the representative of the State Security Committee learns of this unusual incident, he intervenes, saying: “This matter is under Stalin’s control; we must keep the Japanese alive,” and begins the operation. From then on, the funny stories continue.

“Whatever falls from heaven, you may keep.” So goes the unwritten law of the Kazakh steppes. A law avidly adhered to by the inhabitants of a small village, who collect the space debris that falls downrange from the nearby Baikonur space station. The last two youthful members of the village are the radio operator Iskander, known as Gagarin, and the spirited Nazira. While Nazira finds it increasing difficult to conceal her love for Iskander by means of her unconventional behaviour, Iskander is evidently not only crazy about Baikonur and the vastness of outer space, but also deeply smitten with the beautiful French astronaut Julie Mahé, whose journey to the stars he wistfully follows on television.

A high-crime investigator goes to the scene where corruption and crime have taken on new and sophisticated forms in the mountainous southern region of the country. Under the guise of a random train robbery, individual cars loaded with waste from metallurgical production - and essentially enriched gold ore - are stolen. The kidnappers have all the means at their disposal. They mercilessly kill those who try to stop them from stealing tons of gold...