The End of Summer

Manbei Kohayagawa, the patriarch of a small sake brewery just outside Kyoto, oversees a tight-knit household that includes two daughters and a widowed daughter-in-law. His daughter-in-law, Akiko, and his younger daughter, Noriko, live in Osaka. Akiko helps out at an art gallery and has a son, Minoru, while Noriko remains unmarried and works in an office. Fumiko, Manbei’s other daughter, lives with him, and her husband, Hisao, helps at the brewery as they raise their young son, Masao.

Seeking to secure happy marriages for his daughters, Manbei asks his brother-in-law, Kitagawa, to find a suitable husband for Akiko. Kitagawa arranges a meeting with Isomura Ei’ichiro, a widower, at a bar, and Isomura shows enthusiasm for the match. Akiko, however, feels hesitant about the arrangement. At the same time, Manbei also asks Kitagawa to set up a matchmaking session for Noriko, who is in love with Teramoto. Yet Noriko remains reticent, not openly expressing her feelings because Teramoto is moving to Sapporo to take a position as an assistant professor.

During the summer, Manbei repeatedly slips away to visit his former mistress, Tsune Sasaki. Tsune’s Westernized adult daughter, Yuriko, may or may not be Manbei’s daughter, a mystery that casts a shadow over the family. When Fumiko discovers that Manbei has been seeing Tsune again, she confronts him, but he denies the affair, refusing to confirm the rumors.

The Kohayagawa family gathers for a memorial service at Arashiyama to honor their late mother. In the course of the day, Manbei experiences a heart attack after a quarrel with Fumiko over Tsune, yet he awakens the next day feeling renewed and refreshed.

Akiko asks Noriko about another matchmaking session, and Noriko admits to having some fun, though she confesses that she still longs for Teramoto.

A secret journey to Osaka with Tsune marks a turning point: Manbei suffers a second heart attack and dies. Tsune informs his daughters of the loss, leaving the family to confront the reality that the ailing Kohayagawa brewery is to be merged with a rival. Noriko, meanwhile, decides to travel to Sapporo to pursue Teramoto. The family comes together one last time to remember Manbei as his body is cremated, reflecting on a life defined by family ties, unspoken desires, and the weight of tradition as change looms on the horizon.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:48