The Taste of Tea (2004)

Profile

• Movie: The Taste of Tea
• Romaji: Cha no Aji
• Japanese: 茶の味

• Director: Katsuhito Ishii
• Writer: Katsuhito Ishii
• Producer: Hilo Iizumi, Kazuto Takida, Kazutoshi Wadakura
• Cinematographer: Kosuke Matsushima
• Release Date: July 17, 2004
• Runtime: 143 min.
• Genre: Award Winning / Award Winning-Comedy / Award Winning-Family / Award Winning-Rural
• Production Company: Aoi Promotion
• Distributor: Klock Worx
• Language: Japanese
• Country: Japan

Plot

The mother, Yoshiko (Satomi Tezuka), is an animation artist that tries to resurrect her career while maintaining the daily tasks of her family in a rural setting outside of Tokyo. The father, Nobou (Tomokazu Miura), works as a clinical hypnotist. Nabou’s brother Ayano (Tadanobu Asano) drifts into the family’s life, as he has been drifting through life since the love of his life married someone else. The teenage son, Hajime (Takahiro Sato), struggles with making friends at his high school, while trying to attract the attention of the girl of his dreams. The youngest daughter, Sachiko (Maya Banno), is constantly followed by her alter ego that lurks up in the horizon wherever she goes. The grandfather, Akira (Tatsuya Gashuin), helps Yoshio with her animation by posing in various fighting postures, while secretly preparing for his death. The tale of these family members slowly weave together in the film “The Taste Of Tea.”