Kae Horii moves into her new flat in an undisclosed area of Kyoto. While unpacking her belongings, she discovers a hidden compartment behind a inconspicuous mirror. In that compartment, Kae finds a notebook, that turns out to be a diary belonging to the previous tenant. Later that evening Kae starts to read the diary. The writer of the diary is Ibuki Mano, a young lady about to embark on her first year as an elementary school teacher. Ibuki is also in love with a man named Takashi, who may or may not hold similar feelings for Ibuki.
Acting
Yuko Takeuchi's Ibuki radiates hopeful longing that breaks you.
Direction
Yukisada weaves two lives with devastating restraint.
Cinematography
Kyoto's muted seasons mirror emotional seasons perfectly.
Director
Isao Yukisada
Erika Sawajiri
Kae Horii
Yūsuke Iseya
Ryu Ishitobi
Yuko Takeuchi
Ibuki Mano
Yuka Itaya
Hoshi Yamazaki
Masaya Kikawada
Ryo Matsume
Hiromi Nagasaku
Kanako
Saeko
Hana Ikeuchi
Eisuke Sasai
Teacher Sagawa
Tetsushi Tanaka
Kashima
Urara Awata
Kimiyo's Mother
Renji Ishibashi
Nakazawa Masamichi
Momoko Shimizu
Ibuki's Student
Sachino Tsuruoka
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Erika Sawajiri was at peak tabloid saturation when this released; her casting as the diary-reader felt meta-commentary on public vs. private selves.
The film's structure deliberately withholds Ibuki's fate until Kae discovers it, making the audience complicit in her voyeuristic grief.
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