 Departures ( Japanese : <unk> , Hepburn : Okuribito , " one who sends off " ) is a 2008 Japanese drama film directed by Yōjirō Takita and starring Masahiro Motoki , Ryōko Hirosue , and Tsutomu Yamazaki . Loosely based on Coffinman , a memoir by Shinmon Aoki , the film follows a young man who returns to his hometown after a failed career as a cellist and stumbles across work as a nōkanshi — a traditional Japanese ritual mortician . He is subjected to prejudice from those around him , including from his wife , because of strong social taboos against people who deal with death . Eventually he earns their respect and learns the importance of interpersonal connections through the beauty and dignity of his work . 
