movie through Taeko’s eyes. We’ll explore why the past matters, how authenticity evolves away from society's "machine," and what having the courage to write your own story looks like.

Spoiler Warning! This post will spoil the movie for you. So, go watch it and come back, or stay and get inspired by the gentle flow of this movie.

Lesson 1: Your Past Is a Part of Your Present

As the movie begins, we are almost immediately immersed in the vivid memories of Taeko’s childhood from fifth grade. These memories are triggered by a visit with her sisters before she leaves on a vacation to the countryside to help harvest safflower. The memories persist as she prepares, travels, and during her visit. This perplexes her, and she begins to feel that her younger self might be trying to tell her to think about life differently.

From school drama to family drama, learning how to do fractions, and exploring bathhouses, Taeko is taken on a trip down memory lane that feels like it was only yesterday. Her inner child was always there, always weighing in, always trying to guide her, and acting as her biggest supporter through it all.

With each present-day experience, there seems to be a remnant of her childhood attached, waiting for her to work through the emotions. Even at the age of 27, she is reminded of these things and positioned in a way that she can better herself and pursue her dreams. These recollections also inspire others to look at different perspectives of their own situations. The memories are required for Taeko to grow and develop in her current state; she needed to tackle these difficult recollections to recognize that she can, indeed, live her life according to her own terms, even if her family didn’t always agree.

Her ability to do so allowed her to fulfill her childhood dreams, conquer fears, feel seen and heard by someone, and experience life in a different light. For most of her childhood, she seemed to be shut down by her family and not allowed to pursue her ambitions. I recognize that this may have been the attitude of a 1966 family, but she was also able to explore herself as an individual. She was able to learn what she liked and disliked, and it seemed like she really wanted to go to the countryside even when she was a child. Her most authentic self desired this experience, and when this movie takes place, it was her second time out to the country. She was enchanted with the way the people coexisted with nature, and it fed her creativity. By the time she was headed home, she had realized that she didn’t truly want to go back to Tokyo and turned around to stay.

Lesson 2: Authenticity Blooms When You Leave the Machine

As a child, we know Taeko wanted to visit the countryside, and she never got to do so until she was an adult and her sister married a farming family’s son, who then moved to Tokyo. As an adult, she had a decent 9-to-5 job that paid well, friends with whom she hung out, and a nice apartment. But she wasn’t satisfied with her life in the city; she described herself as one of the many people who had no passion for their work.

It was just something she ought to do as a cog in the machine, and it was a path similar to her sisters’. There wasn’t anything special she found in the city, and she said it was very congested.

When Taeko went to the country, she found herself excited to work, to get her hands dirty, and to learn new things. She was tired and sore in a fulfilling way. She found immense fulfillment with the people in the country, how they worked, how they lived, and how they shaped the land they lived on. To her, the country was inviting and familiar, though she didn’t grow up there. The land was inviting and warm to her, and she even found it beautiful.

Even though she was a city girl, she broke that narrative and decided to go against the grain, vacationing in the country to work. As she did so, she found little Taeko at every corner, inviting her to remember who she is and what she truly wants. She was able to find her authenticity and decide what was going to truly fulfill her in the end. She was able to let go of past situations and grow from them, unwrapping the layers of suppression and avoidance. She finally found her true self and the courage to live a life that was her own.

Lesson 3: The Courage to Write a New Ending

As mentioned earlier, Taeko ultimately decided to stay in the country and quit her job in the city. She chose herself and decided not to ignore or abandon herself by doing what she "should." The option was actually presented to her the night before she left, when her brother-in-law's grandmother offered to send for her belongings and move her down there to live. As she did, Kiyoko began to list out her options if she did choose to stay.

This overwhelmed her and caused her to run out of the house and have her last memory flashback. It was of a kid from her class who had transferred halfway through the year to another school. She was convinced that she had hurt him because she hated him; he was dirty and rude. When he left before summer break, the teacher made him shake every kid's hand, and hers was the only one he didn’t want to shake. This memory seemed to be the biggest emotional block for her.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to process the memory alone. Toshio was there to give his perspective, and for her, it was a moment of being seen, heard, and understood. She said it felt as easy as breathing in and out, stirring up emotions she hadn’t fully expressed or truly felt before. He was able to be the grounding presence to help guide her through those difficult emotions and to calm her down from the incident at the house.

After she gets on the train home, she is accompanied by her classmates from the fifth grade in spirit, as well as her younger self. Her younger self starts tugging on her sleeve to persuade her to stay, and she ends up honoring that call and getting on the train headed right back. She called the house she stayed at and told them she was on her way back. The whole time, she was encouraged to follow her heart and believe that she would be reciprocated by the people who welcomed her with open arms. And indeed she was, as Toshio met her in the street to take her back to the village.

The risk she took to leave her old life behind was a large one, and she had to muster up the courage to do so. Taeko chose her heart over logic, reasonability, and what she "should" do. She left her unfulfilling job and the city she grew up in to pursue a new chapter in her life. She chose to be authentically her, to embrace the newfound perspective her child self showed her, to fulfill that part of her that had never left and had waited for this door to open so that they may step through together. By honoring her past, she found the courage to write a new chapter in her life and start living her future.

Conclusion: A Life Lived with Clarity

To truly move forward, you must work with your past, not shun it; in this way, you are able to develop and learn. Each decision we have made has had an impact on our future, whether we are aware of it or not. When you decide to grow, you need to break the mold you occupy and consciously abandon old mindsets, as they are actually your prison. They keep you occupied with past ways of being and blind you from your potential. In order to grow, you need to muster the courage to pick up the pen and begin writing your own story with purpose. This is the way to living your most authentic life.

Show up with compassion and honor where you come from, because you might just be surprised what messages come to the surface for you. Doing this first opens your mind to possibilities and a future you never would have otherwise experienced.

With that, our adventure for today comes to an end.

My goal is simply to be a vessel, sharing the lessons and insights from my own path in the hopes that they may serve as a guide on your own. If this message found you at just the right time and resonated with you, I consider our connection a profound success. Whether our paths cross just this once or intertwine beautifully, know that I am here as a comrade and a friend on this journey.

I truly hope you feel seen, supported, and hopeful as you continue on your way. You are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out directly to me. If you feel called to support this work and its mission, you can find the donation page linked in the site's footer. I look forward to connecting with you on this magnificent adventure.

With Love and Light,

Jamelah Luckett

Link to Companion YouTube Video