A retired couple, ShÅ«kichi and Tomi Hirayama (played by ChishÅ« RyÅ« and Chieko Higashiyama respectively) live in the town of Onomichi in southwest Japan with their daughter KyÅko (played by KyÅko Kagawa). They have five adult children, four living. The couple travel to Tokyo to visit their son, daughter, and widowed daughter-in-law.
Their eldest son, KÅichi (So Yamamura), is a pediatrician, and their eldest daughter, Shige (Haruko Sugimura), runs a hairdressing salon. KÅichi and Shige are both busy, and do not have much time for their parents. Only their widowed daughter-in-law, Noriko (Setsuko Hara), goes out of her way to entertain them. She takes ShÅ«kichi and Tomi on a sightseeing tour of metropolitan Tokyo.
KÅichi and Shige pay for their parents' stay at a hot spring spa at Atami, but the parents return early because the nightlife at the hotel interrupts their sleep. When they return, Shige explains that she sent them to Atami because she wanted to use their bedroom for a meeting. Tomi goes to stay with Noriko, whose husband, her son, died eight years ago in the war. Tomi advises Noriko to remarry. ShÅ«kichi, meanwhile, gets drunk with some old friends, then returns to Shige's salon.
The couple remark on how their children have changed, and they leave for home, planning to see their younger son KeizÅ when the train passes through Osaka. Though they originally had planned to see him without leaving the train, Tomi takes ill during the journey and they decide to disembark, staying until she feels better the next day. However, when they later reach Onomichi, Tomi becomes critically ill. KÅichi, Shige and Noriko rush to Onomichi to see Tomi, who dies shortly afterwards. KeizÅ arrives late as he is out-stationed.
After the funeral, KÅichi, Shige and KeizÅ leave immediately, with only Noriko not returning. After they leave, KyÅko is angry with them and complains to Noriko that they are selfish to their family. She believes that KÅichi, Shige and KeizÅ don't care how hard it was for their father when he lost their mother, and thinks strangers would've been more respectful towards her. Noriko responds that while she understands Kyoko's disappointment with her siblings, she also explains that everyone has their own life to lead and that the drift between parents and children is inevitable. She convinces Kyoko not to be too harsh on her siblings because one day she too will understand how hard it is for them to have to take time from both their families and their own lives.
After KyÅko leaves for school, Noriko informs her father-in-law that she must return to Tokyo that afternoon. ShÅ«kichi tells her that she has treated them best despite not being related by blood. Noriko insists on her own selfishness; ShÅ«kichi credits her protests to humility. He gives her a watch from the late Tomi as a memento. Noriko breaks down in tears and confesses her loneliness. ShÅ«kichi encourages her to remarry again as soon as possible. At the end, the train with Noriko speeds from Onomichi back to Tokyo, leaving behind KyÅko and ShÅ«kichi.
Hirayama family tree[edit]

ShÅ«kichi (Grandfather) and Tomi (Grandmother)

KÅichi (eldest son)

Fumiko (KÅichi's wife)
Minoru (KÅichi's son)
Isamu (KÅichi's son)


Shige (eldest daughter)

KurazÅ (Shige's husband)


ShÅji (2nd son, deceased)

Noriko (ShÅji's wife)


KeizÅ (youngest son)
KyÅko (youngest daughter)
Who goes to stay with Noriko?
Tomi