Where Spring Comes Late

Where Spring Comes Late (家族, Kazoku) is a 1970 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada.^[1]

Where Spring Comes Late
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Yoji Yamada
Screenplay by	Yoji Yamada Akira Miyazaki
Starring	Chieko Baisho Hisashi Igawa Chishū Ryū
Production company	Shochiku
Release date	October 24, 1970 (1970-10-24)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Plot

The Kazami family live on the island of Iōjima, Nagasaki, where Seiichi Kamazi works in a coal mine. With the coal mine closing, Seiichi decides to move to Hokkaido and become a dairy farmer. The family rides the train between the two islands (a roughly 3,000-mile journey). Along the way, they stop in Fukuyama, where Seiichi's brother Tsutomu lives, Osaka, where they attend Expo '70, and Tokyo. In Tokyo, the family's youngest daughter passes away. Genzō, Seiichi's father, reaches Hokkaido but passes away shortly after. He is buried in a Catholic ceremony. Despite Seiichi's misgivings, Tamiko (his wife) convinces him to stay and forge a new life for themselves.

Cast

• Chieko Baisho as Tamiko Kazami
• Hisashi Igawa as Seiichi Kazami
• Chishū Ryū as Genzō Kazami
• Gin Maeda
• Hiroshi Inuzuka as Comedian
• Kiyoshi Atsumi
• Shūichi Ikeda

Awards

25th Mainichi Film Award^[2]

• Won: Best Film

Criticism

Scholar Yoshikuni Igarashi called the film "a declaration of war against the regime of the high-growth economy." He views Seiichi's journey as motivated by his desire to maintain economic independence.^[3]