Happy Onsen House: A Family Story of Tears and Vitality

By / Edited and reported by the MOOK Scenic Spots editorial team

Directed by rising filmmaker Ryota Nakano, whose debut feature film "Photos of My Father" received widespread acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival and other domestic and international film events, "Happy Onsen House" earned him the Kikuchi Kan Prize Gold Award. The film also boasts an all-star cast spanning three generations, featuring highly acclaimed actors. Notably, actress Rie Miyazawa, who has won Best Actress at the Japan Academy Awards, Hochi Film Awards, and Blue Ribbon Awards, takes on the role of a bathhouse owner wielding a floor scrubber. She portrays a selfless, resilient mother who embodies both strength and tenderness.

The Hirano family once ran a traditional Japanese onsen, "Yukino-yu." However, the father (played by Masahiro Motoki), the head of the household, suddenly left home a year ago with a woman he met at a hotel, forcing the onsen to close down. The cheerful and strong-willed mother, Futaba (played by Rie Miyazawa), worked various part-time jobs to raise their daughter.

But one day, Futaba learns that she doesn’t have much time left to live. She first hires a private detective to track down her runaway, good-for-nothing husband — only for him to return with a daughter he had with another woman. Their family of three suddenly becomes a family of four, and they decide to reopen the onsen. Futaba also sets out to help her daughter, who is constantly bullied at school, become stronger and more independent, while fulfilling the long-awaited dream of taking the whole family on a trip to try snow crabs...

As the mother’s actions unfold, family secrets gradually come to light. Through conflict, the family grows closer. They decide to accompany the mother on her final journey with joy and love... Although it deals with a classic family theme, the story leads to an unexpected ending, transforming into a work filled with tears and vitality — a moving and surprising piece.