In a series of episodes, the much-deprived life of a family of four trying to keep its head above water in post-war Japan unfolds. After much effort, the family is able to open a small laundry but then both the father and son die. It is up to the mother (Kinuyo Tanaka) again to keep the business and the family afloat. The price is high when she succumbs to family pressure and has to sever a bond that is thought to be improper. This is a film about everyday life, small things, quiet rituals and the loneliness of a mother.
(Arsenal Kino)