Toshiko, a mother caring for three children from different fathers, leaves Tokyo to seek foster care for her brood, choosing to place them where they can be cared for while she continues to run her bar. Her plan unfolds in stages: she arranges for her daughter to be taken in by her brother Gentaro, who already has eight children, and she arranges for her younger son to stay with her uncle Yokogawa. With those arrangements in mind, she sets out toward the mountains to seek out Oseki, her former nurse who now runs a tea house, hoping for a kinder, more stable path for her family.
On the road, Toshiko crosses paths with an elderly woman who is looking after a grandchild. The story within a story behind this encounter shows the other side of motherhood: the child’s own mother, a member of a traveling troupe, refuses to give the child away despite the pressure of difficult circumstances. This moment frames Toshiko’s own choices against a backdrop of steadfast caregiving and the constraining social expectations of the time.
Toshiko’s journey leads her to a mountain inn where she stays with her elder son Fusao. There, life slows down and she falls ill, forcing her to move into a smaller room with the painter Takuoka as the inn fills up. The situation grows more complicated when Mitsuko, Toshiko’s business partner, pays a visit and becomes entangled with Takuoka, weaving personal connections into the fabric of Toshiko’s precarious plan.
Despite the interruptions and the discomfort, Toshiko eventually reaches Oseki. The initial impulse is to ask Oseki to take Fusao in as she had planned, hoping for relief and stability through another family’s care. But as the meeting unfolds and the practical realities set in, Toshiko makes a decisive choice: she will raise all of her children on her own, even if that means facing financial hardship. This decision marks a turning point, underscoring a steadfast commitment to her children and a willingness to shoulder the burdens of parenthood without waiting for external rescue.
The narrative moves with a quiet, observant tone, focusing on the daily pressures and moral commitments of a mother trying to navigate love, duty, and independence. The journey from the bustle of Tokyo to the quiet intensity of mountain life highlights a contrast between urban vitality and rural resilience, while the interactions with Gentaro, Yokogawa, Oseki, Fusao, and Takuoka illuminate the complexities of family ties, sacrifice, and personal resolve.
Throughout, the film presents a portrait of endurance and resolve, showing Toshiko’s boundary-pushing decision to keep her family intact by her own hands. It is a story of discretion and perseverance, where hope is found not by surrendering the children to easier solutions, but by choosing to face hardship head-on and to build a life with her children, one careful step at a time. The result is a thoughtful meditation on motherhood, responsibility, and the quiet power of a mother who chooses to chart her own course, even when every road ahead is uncertain.
