her childhood. The couple remarks on how their children have changed, returning home earlier than planned, intending to see their younger son Keizō when the train stops in Osaka. However, Tomi suddenly becomes ill during the journey and they decide to disembark the train, staying until she feels better the next day. They return to Onomichi, and Tomi falls critically ill. Kōichi, Shige, and Noriko rush to Onomichi to see Tomi, who dies shortly afterwards. Keizō arrives too late, as he has been away on business. After the funeral, Kōichi, Shige, and Keizō leave immediately; only Noriko remains. After they leave, Kyōko criticises her siblings over their selfishness toward their parents. She believes that Kōichi, Shige, and Keizō do not care how hard it will be for their father now that he has lost their mother. She is also upset at Shige for asking so quickly for Tomi's clothes as keepsakes. Noriko responds that while she understands Kyōko's disappointment, everyone has their own life and the growing chasm between parents and children is inevitable. She convinces Kyōko not to be too hard on her siblings because one day she will understand how hard it is to take time away from one's own life. After Kyōko leaves for school, Noriko informs her father-in-law that she must return to Tokyo that afternoon. Shūkichi tells her that she has treated them better than their own children despite not being a blood relation. Noriko protests that she is selfish and has not always thought about her missing husband, and Shūkichi credits her self-assessment to humility. He gives her a watch from the late Tomi as a memento. Noriko cries and confesses her loneliness; Shūkichi encourages her to remarry as soon as possible, wanting her to be happy. Noriko travels from Onomichi back to Tokyo, contemplating the watch, while Shūkichi remains behind, resigned to the solitude he must endure. Hirayama family tree Cast Chishū Ryū as Chieko Higashiyama as Setsuko Hara as Haruko Sugimura as So Yamamura as Kuniko Miyake as Kyōko Kagawa as Eijirō Tōno as Nobuo Nakamura as Shirō Ōsaka as Hisao Toake as Teruko Nagaoka as Mutsuko Sakura as a patron of the Oden Restaurant Toyo Takahashi as Shūkichi Hirayama's neighbour Tōru Abe as a railway employee Sachiko Mitani as Noriko's neighbour Zen Murase as Minoru Hirayama, Kōichi's son Mitsuhiro Mori as Isamu Hirayama, Kōichi's son Junko Anami as a beauty salon