The Hirayamas travel from their hometown of Onomichi to Tokyo to
visit their adult children. But the younger generation make them feel
more in the way than welcome. It also emerges that their son’s career as
a doctor and their daughter’s as a hairdresser are nowhere near as successful
as the couple were led to believe from afar. The only one who
really makes an effort to spend time with them is their daughter-in-law,
Noriko, the widow of the Hirayama’s son who went missing in the war.
On the journey home, mother Hirayama is taken seriously ill and the
couple have to make an unscheduled stop in Osaka, where another of
their adult children lives. In a succinct, objective and non-judgemental
manner, Yasujirō Ozu uses images which are as simple as they are
magnificent to tell the story of family estrangement and the isolation
inherent in modern society. Ozu himself considered Tōky ō Monogatari
his “masterpiece” and the 1963 Retrospective of the Berlin International
Film Festival, the “film-historical screenings”, was dedicated to
him. This is the international premiere of the digitally restored version
made by Japanese production company Shochiku.

Sight & Sound, 2012, Best Movie of all times on the direcors list.
Mainichi Film Concours: Best supporting Actress

«Das Wunder Ozu - Ozu ist im Westen Kult: Der neben Kurosawa und Mizoguchi dritte berühmte Klassiker des japanischen Films in der Mitte des letzten Jahrhunderts hat einen unerhörten Reinigungseffekt für (kino-)verdorbene Sinne. Wie schlicht sind diese Filme, wie wundersam schön, wie genau! - Seine Radikalität hat in der Filmgeschichte Massstäbe gesetzt.» Martin Walder, NZZ am Sonntag "A travers l'évolution des parents et des enfants, j'ai montré, comment le système familial japonais commençait à se désintégrer". Ozu