Yearning 1964

Reiko runs a grocery shop in a family home

For 18 years, Reiko, a war widow, has managed the family grocery shop inside her deceased husband’s relatives’ house. She keeps the business afloat despite the constraints of the old house and the memories that linger there. The shop stands as a quiet anchor in a town facing change.

A new supermarket threatens Reiko's shop

A sleek new supermarket opens nearby, casting a shadow over the family shop. Reiko worries about her livelihood, while her sisters-in-law see the threat as an opportunity to push her aside. They conspire to transform the shop into a supermarket version of itself and edge Reiko out.

Sisters-in-law plot to get rid of Reiko

The sisters-in-law publicly discuss strategies to undermine Reiko’s position and replace the shop with a supermarket venture. They frame modernization as progress, while quietly planning to remove Reiko from the family business. The tension between tradition and change grows.

Kōji confesses his love to Reiko

Kōji, the 25-year-old brother-in-law known for his drunken fights, finally tells Reiko that he has always loved her. He speaks with raw honesty, hoping the confession will shift their relationship toward something more than family ties.

Reiko rejects the confession

Reiko explains that she cares for him only as a family member and cannot return romantic feelings. The rejection leaves Kōji hurt but does not end his attachment. The moment underscores the fragility of their complicated bond.

Reiko decides to step back from the family conflict

Facing pressure from her sisters and the economic threat to her livelihood, Reiko decides she does not want to stand in the way of the sisters’ plans any longer. She resolves to return to her own family and leave the house she has called home for years.

Kōji follows Reiko onto a long train ride

Kōji follows Reiko as she leaves on a long train journey, seemingly intent on pursuing her or ensuring she is not alone. The trip becomes a turning point, challenging their boundaries between family duty and potential romance.

They talk and disembark at a country inn

On the train, Reiko begins to soften toward him. They disembark at a country inn to talk privately, away from the house and its tensions. The setting shifts from public conflict to private deliberation.

Koji resumes his approaches; Reiko resists

Inside the inn, Koji resumes his romantic advances while Reiko remains cautious and unable to face intimacy. The emotional stakes rise as proximity sparks both longing and hesitation.

Koji storms out, drinks, and plans to return home

Koji storms out in a drunken mood and later phones Reiko to say he is going back home. His instability reflects the fragility of their relationship and the volatile mix of affection and frustration.

Morning tragedy: Koji dies

In the morning, Reiko sees Koji carried into the village on a stretcher, having died from a fall off a cliff. The sudden loss reverberates through her, forcing a reckoning with their choices and the cost of desire.