Early Summer

An elderly uncle arrives at the Mamiya household in Kamakura and reminds Noriko that it is time for her to marry. The family, living with her extended relatives, receives the suggestion with a mix of embarrassment and quiet resolve. The moment sets the tone for the social pressure surrounding Noriko's future.

Noriko works as a secretary in Tokyo while living with her Mamiya family in Kamakura, balancing urban career with rural family expectations. Her days involve the routine pressures of modern life clashing with traditional duties. The contrast highlights the conflict between personal happiness and social duty.

At work, Noriko's boss Satake suggests a marriage to his forty-year-old friend, Mr. Manabe, a businessman and golfer. The proposal frames an arranged match as practical for a woman her age. Noriko begins to confront the possibility of a conventional path she had not anticipated.

Noriko's friends are split into two groups—married and unmarried—each teasing the other about life choices. Aya Tamura stands out as her closest ally among the unmarried, providing some solidarity amid social pressure. The banter underscores the social divide surrounding marriage in their world.

Kenkichi Yabe, Noriko's childhood friend, a physician and widower, comes for tea and presents her with a sheaf of wheat. The gift has a poignant backstory: it comes from his brother who died fighting in World War II and asked him to deliver it to Noriko if he did not return. The moment links personal loss with a sense of duty and possible future ties.

Yabe learns he will be assigned to Akita, a distant rural area in northern Honshu. The move promises physical distance and practical barriers to a future together. The prospect intensifies the question of whether Noriko should follow him.

Yabe's mother, Tami, impulsively asks Noriko to marry Yabe and join them in Akita. The invitation shocks Noriko and her family, who must weigh their traditional expectations against a life in a much more remote place. The moment crystallizes the central dilemma of Noriko's future.

Noriko decides to accept the proposal, agreeing to marry Yabe and move with him to Akita. The decision is met with quiet devastation by her family, who fear losing the life they had envisioned for her. Yet Noriko's resolve signals a deeper commitment to the intertwining of duty and affection.

The family quietly conceals their disappointment, hinting that the match might not be ideal for Noriko. They struggle to reconcile their feelings with the social expectation that she must marry. The scene sets a poignant tone for the sacrifices entailed in such a decision.

Over time, the family comes to terms with Noriko's choice, and they share a final photograph together before she departs. The image captures both lingering sadness and a resigned warmth among family members. It marks a turning point as they prepare for a new chapter.

Noriko's parents console themselves that she and Kenkichi Yabe will eventually move back to Tokyo, reuniting the family. The expectation reinforces the belief that this is a temporary change rather than an end of connection. The scene foreshadows the long-term distance the family must endure.

Later, the parents relocate to a rural region to stay with Noriko's elderly uncle, continuing the journey away from their urban life. The move emphasizes the film's meditation on aging, memory, and changing family dynamics. The family unit stretches across landscapes as Noriko begins a new life.

In the final scene, a bride passes along the country road in traditional costume while Noriko's parents watch. The camera lingers on a barley field ripening nearby, a quiet image of cycles of life and generations. The closing tableau underscores the themes of marriage, memory, and resilience.