The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
Encyclopedia
is a 1952 Japan
ese film directed by Yasujiro Ozu
about a wealthy middle-aged couple (played by Shin Saburi
and Michiyo Kogure
) who have marital difficulties. The story includes a sub-plot about a niece who uses the couple's troubles as her excuse for not attending omiai
(arranged marriage
) interviews.
The film is in public domain
.
) and Mokichi Satake (Shin Saburi
) are a married couple living in Tokyo
who has survived many years of marriage. Childless, the wife thinks the husband is somewhat dull and uninteresting, even though he is a reliable, if quiet, executive at an engineering
company.
Under the instigation of a friend Aya (Chikage Awashima
), Taeko decides to lie to her husband to go for a getaway at a spa
with a couple of friends. She pretends that her niece, Setsuko (Keiko Tsushima), has taken ill. The plan nearly blows in her face when Setsuko visits her house unexpectedly, but Taeko substitutes the invalid with another friend Takako and obtains consent from her husband to go for a break.
Setsuko has to go for a matchmaking session although she is unwilling to do so. Seeing that Mokichi and Taeko are not having the best of times after their arranged marriage, she is determined to find her own spouse. Mokichi's family tasks Taeko to act as matchmaker for Setsuko at a kabuki
theater, but Setsuko runs off midway during a visit to the washroom. Instead, she goes to see her uncle, who brings her back to the theater and leaves, but she runs off again. She joins Mokichi at a pachinko
(pinball) parlor with his younger friend Noboru (Koji Tsuruta
). Mokichi asks Noboru to bring Setsuko back home as he heads home.
Setsuko does not go home, but instead goes to her uncle's house, where Taeko is fuming. When Taeko realizes that Setsuko and Mokichi have been together, she becomes so angry that she refuses to speak to her husband for days. The two have a minor confrontation, when Mokichi quietly confides in her that he finds his old habits hard to break because smoking inferior cigarettes and traveling third-class on a train often remind him of the simpler pleasures of life. Taeko disagrees and leaves for her room in a huff.
Taeko goes on a solo train journey away from Tokyo. Mokichi telegrams her to tell her that his company is sending him to Uruguay
on a business trip, and asks her to return. Wilfully, Taeko returns only after Mokichi has flown. But Mokichi returns a few hours later since the airplane carrying him has met with technical mishaps and has to head back to Tokyo. The couple make up while preparing a simple, frugal meal of rice with green tea
(a simple Japanese dish) with a few side dishes. Taeko finally realizes what her husband has been speaking about earlier on, and begins to appreciate the simpler pleasures of life. She promises never to leave without a word again.
The film ends with Setsuko confiding with Noboru over her aunt's changed attitude, and the final scene suggests that the two have become a couple.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese film directed by Yasujiro Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
about a wealthy middle-aged couple (played by Shin Saburi
Shin Saburi
Shin Saburi was a Japanese film actor noted for his leading roles in a number of films by the director Yasujiro Ozu including Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family , Tea Over Rice , Equinox Flower and Late Autumn .-Selected filmography:* 1941 Brothers and...
and Michiyo Kogure
Michiyo Kogure
was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in 89 films between 1939 and 1984. She is perhaps best known for her starring role as the headstrong housewife who begins to tire of her dull, earnest husband in The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice .-Selected filmography:* * Portrait of Madame Yuki (31...
) who have marital difficulties. The story includes a sub-plot about a niece who uses the couple's troubles as her excuse for not attending omiai
Omiai
or is a Japanese traditional custom in which unattached individuals are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage. Since this "Miai" or "Omiai" was sometimes translated as "arranged marriage" in English and other foreign languages, which is a total misnomer, some foreigners...
(arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
) interviews.
The film is in public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.
Synopsis
Taeko (Michiyo KogureMichiyo Kogure
was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in 89 films between 1939 and 1984. She is perhaps best known for her starring role as the headstrong housewife who begins to tire of her dull, earnest husband in The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice .-Selected filmography:* * Portrait of Madame Yuki (31...
) and Mokichi Satake (Shin Saburi
Shin Saburi
Shin Saburi was a Japanese film actor noted for his leading roles in a number of films by the director Yasujiro Ozu including Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family , Tea Over Rice , Equinox Flower and Late Autumn .-Selected filmography:* 1941 Brothers and...
) are a married couple living in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
who has survived many years of marriage. Childless, the wife thinks the husband is somewhat dull and uninteresting, even though he is a reliable, if quiet, executive at an engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
company.
Under the instigation of a friend Aya (Chikage Awashima
Chikage Awashima
born Keiko Nakagawa in Tokyo, 24 February 1924) is a Japanese actress who has been in films since the 1950s.- Filmography :* Tenya wanya * Early Summer * Nami * An Inlet of Muddy Water...
), Taeko decides to lie to her husband to go for a getaway at a spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
with a couple of friends. She pretends that her niece, Setsuko (Keiko Tsushima), has taken ill. The plan nearly blows in her face when Setsuko visits her house unexpectedly, but Taeko substitutes the invalid with another friend Takako and obtains consent from her husband to go for a break.
Setsuko has to go for a matchmaking session although she is unwilling to do so. Seeing that Mokichi and Taeko are not having the best of times after their arranged marriage, she is determined to find her own spouse. Mokichi's family tasks Taeko to act as matchmaker for Setsuko at a kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
theater, but Setsuko runs off midway during a visit to the washroom. Instead, she goes to see her uncle, who brings her back to the theater and leaves, but she runs off again. She joins Mokichi at a pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
(pinball) parlor with his younger friend Noboru (Koji Tsuruta
Koji Tsuruta
was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 260 feature films.-Career:Born in Shizuoka Prefecture as Eiichi Ono, Tsuruta was studying at Kansai University when he was drafted into the Japanese Imperial Navy. After the war he joined Kōkichi Takada's theater troupe and made his film debut at Shochiku...
). Mokichi asks Noboru to bring Setsuko back home as he heads home.
Setsuko does not go home, but instead goes to her uncle's house, where Taeko is fuming. When Taeko realizes that Setsuko and Mokichi have been together, she becomes so angry that she refuses to speak to her husband for days. The two have a minor confrontation, when Mokichi quietly confides in her that he finds his old habits hard to break because smoking inferior cigarettes and traveling third-class on a train often remind him of the simpler pleasures of life. Taeko disagrees and leaves for her room in a huff.
Taeko goes on a solo train journey away from Tokyo. Mokichi telegrams her to tell her that his company is sending him to Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
on a business trip, and asks her to return. Wilfully, Taeko returns only after Mokichi has flown. But Mokichi returns a few hours later since the airplane carrying him has met with technical mishaps and has to head back to Tokyo. The couple make up while preparing a simple, frugal meal of rice with green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
(a simple Japanese dish) with a few side dishes. Taeko finally realizes what her husband has been speaking about earlier on, and begins to appreciate the simpler pleasures of life. She promises never to leave without a word again.
The film ends with Setsuko confiding with Noboru over her aunt's changed attitude, and the final scene suggests that the two have become a couple.