Plot summary

An elderly couple, Shukishi and Tomi, travel from Hiroshima to Tokyo to visit their children. The trip is arduous for the humble, elderly couple who are keen to see their children again. Their son, Koichi, is a doctor and is often away from home. Their daughter Shige finds their visit to be a costly imposition on her time. The only person who seems to care about them is their widowed daughter-in-law Noriko. Their stay in Tokyo proves to be a sad one as they soon come to realize they are not particularly welcome and that their children see the visit more as a nuisance than anything else. As Tomi begins to feel unwell, they decide to return home but must face a tragic end.—garykmcd