In the 1950s, married life has become very routine for middle-aged Japanese couple Mokichi (Shin Saburi) and Taeko (Michiyo Kogure). Taeko calls her husband "dull" while Mokichi spends most of his time at the office. Their young niece Setsuko (Keiko Tsushima) is determined to escape their fate, so she refuses to accept the details of an arranged marriage set up by her parents. With tentative steps, this family, much like the city of Tokyo, is slowly moving into the modern age.