Departures

Set in contemporary Japan, the story contrasts urban life with the quiet rhythms of a rural hometown. Modern work life, family expectations, and changing attitudes toward death frame Daigo's transformation. The events feel present-day and relatable through everyday details like work, marriage, and ritual.

Daigo returns to his hometown in Yamagata, moving into his childhood home beside a local coffee shop once run by his father. The rural setting provides a quiet, memory-filled backdrop that anchors the film's themes of family, loss, and reconciliation. The coffee shop and family home ground the story in a place where past ties shape present choices.

⚰️ Death & Ritual

Death is treated as a meaningful, communal act rather than an end. Daigo's role in encoffinment brings him face-to-face with grieving families and the dignity of the deceased. The ritual reveals a path to empathy, acceptance, and healing for the living. Through the ceremonies, the film suggests that remembering those who have passed can reconcile broken relationships.

🤝 Family & Forgiveness

Past wounds from Daigo's father and his mother's death haunt him as he navigates his new vocation. Mika's absence and eventual return test their marriage, while shared tragedy pushes them toward reconciliation. Yuriko's insistence on confronting the past also underscores the family-centered nature of healing. The film presents forgiveness as a gradual, communal process.

🎻 Calling & Identity

Daigo's transition from professional musician to mortician challenges conventional prestige and personal pride. He discovers meaning in honoring the dead by treating each ceremony with care and respect. The work reframes success as compassion and responsibility rather than public recognition. The profession becomes Daigo's true calling, transforming his sense of self.