Early Autumn

Directed by Masato Harada

As summer gives way to autumn, Matsubara Tatsuhira (played by Yakusho Koji), who runs a wine specialty store in Nagano, feels a mix of emotions as he sends his daughter off to her wedding. Since his wife passed away 20 years ago, Matsubara has dedicated himself to raising his daughter, even sacrificing another chance at love. However, his daughter's marriage seems to have left this strong man feeling a sense of emotional loss and loneliness. Afterward, he temporarily sets aside his work and travels to Kyoto to visit his old friend, the writer Shigeo Shuzuki (played by Iwasaki Ryō), and also reunites with his high school friend Yamabe Kōsuke (played by Ten Ten). At Yamabe's request, Matsubara went to a nightclub to investigate the other man's daughter—who was also Matsubara's daughter's friend—Reiko (played by Nakagawa Noriko). Reiko had secretly loved Matsubara since childhood, and the hidden emotions in this middle-aged man seemed to be awakening once again...