Manbei Kohayagawa, portrayed by Ganjirô Nakamura, is the patriarch of a modest sake brewery located just outside of Kyoto. His family consists of two daughters and a widowed daughter-in-law. His daughter-in-law, Akiko, played by Setsuko Hara, and his younger daughter, Noriko, reside in Osaka. Akiko is actively involved in an art gallery and has a son named Minoru, while the unmarried Noriko works in an office. Living with Manbei is his other daughter, Fumiko, whose husband, Hisao, assists at the brewery, and together they have a young son named Masao.
In his quest to see his daughter Akiko happily married, Manbei seeks help from his brother-in-law Kitagawa to set her up with a suitable partner. Kitagawa introduces Akiko to a friend of his, Isomura Ei'ichiro, portrayed by Hisaya Morishige, a widower whom he meets at a bar. Although Isomura expresses a keen interest in a romantic connection, Akiko remains uncertain about this match. Simultaneously, Manbei encourages Kitagawa to arrange a meeting for Noriko as well, who harbors feelings for Teramoto, yet struggles to share her affections due to his upcoming move to Sapporo for a position as an assistant professor.
Amidst the brewing family drama, Manbei secretly pursues a relationship with his former lover, Tsune Sasaki, played by Chieko Naniwa, while contemplating the possibility that her westernized daughter, Yuriko, might be his own child. When Fumiko discovers her father's secret escapades with Tsune, she confronts him, but he resolutely denies the allegations of infidelity.
The Kohayagawa family comes together for a memorial service honoring their deceased mother at Arashiyama. After an intense argument with Fumiko regarding Tsune, Manbei suffers a heart attack but surprisingly awakens the next day feeling rejuvenated. Following this, Akiko inquires about Noriko's latest matchmaking attempts, and although Noriko admits to enjoying the experiences, she remains emotionally tethered to Teramoto.
On a clandestine trip to Osaka with Tsune, Manbei faces another heart attack, tragically leading to his death. Tsune breaks the news to his daughters, shaking the family dynamic to its core. The struggling Kohayagawa brewery is now set to merge with a competing business, while Noriko resolves to travel to Sapporo in hopes of reconnecting with Teramoto. As the family gathers to reflect on Manbei's life during his cremation, they are enveloped in a wave of nostalgia and grief.
