A Last Note

Yoko, an aged but active widow, retreats from rehearsals to escape Tokyo's heat and find quiet time alone. The peace is shattered by news of a handyman's suicide and a note that simply says 'it's over', accompanied by a heavy stone used on his self-made coffin.

Toyoko informs Yoko that the 83-year-old gardener has taken his own life, leaving behind a stark note. He had placed a river stone atop the coffin's lid as a grim final touch, foreshadowing a weighty burden to come.

Mr. Ushiguni and his wife Tomie arrive, renewing old ties with Yoko. Although senile at times, Tomie can still recall passages from Chekhov’s plays with Yoko’s prompting, underscoring their shared past on stage.

The following day, an armed man bursts into the house and demands food. Tomie struggles to grab his weapon, and the police quickly apprehend the intruder, ending the immediate danger.

Tomie is rewarded for helping capture the escapee, but the celebration turns sour at lunch when the envelope contains only 10,000 yen instead of the hoped-for 300,000. The moment exposes the fragility of expectations even in good news.

After the unsettling incident, the Ushigunis prepare to leave the summer house and continue their journey. Their departure signals a return to normal life for Yoko, though memories linger.

Toyoko reveals to Yoko that she had an affair with Saburo, Yoko's husband, years ago and that Saburo is Akemi's father. Yoko initially reacts with indignation, but the two women work through their grievances and begin to mend their bond.

Yoko and Toyoko attend Akemi's tentative marriage ceremony to Daigoro, a local man. The dances dramatize sexual rituals and anchor the community's rites in a modern, intimate context.

The next morning, journalist Naoko visits Yoko and informs her that Tomie and Saburo have committed shinjū in the ocean near Naoetsu. Yoko realizes this trip was Tomie's final goodbye and understands Tomie’s meaning behind their visit.

Together with Naoko, Yoko and Toyoko set out to retrace Tomie and Saburo’s final steps along the coastline toward Niigata, piecing together the couple’s last voyage. The walk becomes a quiet meditation on parting and memory.

They return to the residence and Yoko begins packing a suitcase to return to Tokyo. She tells Toyoko to keep the gardener’s stone for her coffin, a practical memento that now feels like a risk and a promise.

Yoko leaves the summer house to head back to Tokyo, carrying her memories and unresolved questions about friendship, aging, and art. Toyoko remains behind with the stone’s fate uncertain.

After Yoko's departure, Toyoko takes the gardener’s stone to the river and throws it into the water. The act symbolizes release from guilt, burden, and the weight of the past.