Tokyo Story

(Tokyo monogatari)

A stunning new digital print of the film that that made Yasujiro Ozu’s reputation in the west, Tokyo Story is a sketch of social and moral changes in defeated, post-war Japan.

Tokyo Story follows an aging couple, Tomi and Sukichi, on their journey from their rural village to visit their two married children in bustling, post-war Tokyo. Their reception is disappointing: too busy to entertain them, their children send them off to a health spa. After Tomi falls ill she and Sukichi return home, while the children, grief-stricken, hasten to be with her. From a simple tale unfolds one of the greatest of all Japanese films. Starring Ozu regulars Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara, the film reprises one of the director’s favorite themes - that of generational conflict - in a way that is quintessentially Japanese and yet so universal in its appeal that it continues to resonate as one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces.

‘One of the five greatest films ever made’ Sight & Sound Critics' Poll 2002

‘Emotionally overwhelming’ Tony Rayns, Time Out Film Guide

‘Sublime’ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian