Riding Uphill is a story about Keirin-a professional bicycle racing sport where betting is allowed. Set in Kitakyushu’s Kokura, where Keirin was founded, this film depicts the awkward struggle of men living on the edge, and their attempt to achieve their dreams. The film is coordinated and directed by Kan Eguchi. As a successful film director and winner of the Cannes Lions for three consecutive years, Eguchi has ventured into directing his first feature film. The main actor is Kenichi Abe, a 42-year-old man. Influenced by his father who was a former Keirin racer, Abe also aspired to be a professional Keirin racer in his hometown, Oita. Slowly working his way up as an actor, he had decided to end his acting career by March 2016 unless he was able to land a role in a larger production. Indeed, Abe was literally an actor living on the edge before becoming the protagonist of this film.