Plot
The upper-class Toda family celebrates the 69th birthday of their father with a commemorative photoshoot at their outdoor garden. Unfortunately, shortly after the photo session, the father, Shintaro Toda (Hideo Fujino), suffers a fatal heart attack. After his death his eldest son, Shinichiro (Tatsuo Saito) announces that as their father had acted as a guarantor for a company which has gone bankrupt, they must help pay off that company's debts. The family decides to sell off all their late father's properties and antiques, leaving only an old house by the sea. Meanwhile, the mother (Ayako Katsuragi) and the youngest daughter Setsuko (Mieko Takamino) would go and stay with Shinichiro and his wife. The unmarried second brother Shojiro (Shin Saburi) takes the opportunity to move away from Japan to Tianjin, China (which had been occupied by Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese war).
The mother and Setsuko soon clash with Shinichiro's wife, Kazuko. After some time, unable to bear with Kazuko, the two move to stay with Chizuko (Mitsuko Yoshikawa), the married eldest sister. However, Setsuko's plans to go out to work are met with vehement objection from Chizuko, who finds the whole idea disgraceful (since they are an upper-class family). Chizuko also clashes with the mother over her grandson, who has been playing truant at school. Eventually Mrs Toda and Setsuko decide to move out to the unsold dilapidated apartment by the sea, instead of harassing Setsuko's second sister, Ayako (Yoshiko Tsubouchi), for a place to stay. Ayako and her husband are more than happy to let them stay elsewhere.
The death anniversary of the father soon arrives, and the family comes together for a ceremonial gathering. Shojiro arrives on time for the family dinner. However, he is shocked to learn that his mother and Setsuko are staying alone by the sea. He reprimands each and every one of his brother and sisters in turn sternly, rebuking them for not doing their part as children, and urges them to leave for home at once, which they do. After dinner, Shojiro asks his mother and sister to stay with him at Tianjin in China. The two agree. Setsuko tries to matchmake Shojiro and her friend Tokiko (Michiko Kuwano), who has come for a visit, but Shojiro runs off to the beach before she can get them to meet.
Read more about this topic: Brothers And Sisters Of The Toda Family
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