Kazumichi Tsuji is a bored office worker in questionable relationships with two women at work. One day he meets the intriguing Ukiyo Hayama at a convenience store. However, having her in his life brings nothing but trouble.

Kazumichi Tsuji is a bored office worker in questionable relationships with two women at work. One day he meets the intriguing Ukiyo Hayama at a convenience store. However, having her in his life brings nothing but trouble.

Keiko Tsuruoka’s film is at once traditional and contemporary: it gently mixes present-day gender and sexuality politics with the old-fashioned Japanese domestic drama. Traditional lacquerwork kitchenware is the Aoki family’s legacy, handed down to patriarch Seishiro (Kaoru Kobayashi) by his now-ailing father (Masayuki Suzuki). Seishiro expects to pass it in turn to his son Yu (Ryota Bando), but Yu has no interest in the craft—quite unlike daughter Miyako (Mayu Hotta), who loves it dearly. The stage is set for conflict, as established cultural traditions collide with modern mores…