Learning from “Tokyo Story”
In this movie, an old couple decide to travel from Onomiya to Tokyo to visit their adult children. Once there, they are not welcomed with joy but as if they are disruptive and intrusive of the family routine.
They discover that their son, a pediatrician, is not as distinguished as they had imagined. Their daughter-in-law is a beautician and complains to her husband that it is a waste of money to buy desserts upon their arrival. They send the parents to a resort but the parents cannot sleep because of the late night activities. The widow of their son is the only person who shows them any kindness and takes a day off from work to show them around.
Roger Ebert had many accolades about this movie from the story, universal themes, and technical skill of the producer. I discovered that as many things that are unusual to westerners about Japanese customs and perspective, the way we view family dynamics, aging, and daily living are the same.