Like most other Japanese businessmen, Sasaki Hiroyuki - Dad - commutes to work every day on crowded Tokyo trains. Married to housewife Megumi - Mom - he leaves early and comes home late. This lifestyle does little to promote a bond with his two sons, Taka (18) and Kenji (11). Kenji, meanwhile, is a sensitive boy who has a secret desire to play the piano, an instrument Dad believes is only for girls. The story, set in contemporary Tokyo, begins like any normal day, with Dad preparing to depart for work. Unlike other days, however, on this day Dad will unexpectedly lose his job. Facing totally unfamiliar circumstances, Dad decides not to tell Mom and to enter the world of the secretly unemployed. These are people who "save face" by concealing their unfortunate reality from family and friends while they look for new employment. With hope and a stoic commitment to carry the burden alone, Dad departs each day "for work," when, in fact, he is killing time in shopping malls and parks...

Like most other Japanese businessmen, Sasaki Hiroyuki - Dad - commutes to work every day on crowded Tokyo trains. Married to housewife Megumi - Mom - he leaves early and comes home late. This lifestyle does little to promote a bond with his two sons, Taka (18) and Kenji (11). Kenji, meanwhile, is a sensitive boy who has a secret desire to play the piano, an instrument Dad believes is only for girls. The story, set in contemporary Tokyo, begins like any normal day, with Dad preparing to depart for work. Unlike other days, however, on this day Dad will unexpectedly lose his job. Facing totally unfamiliar circumstances, Dad decides not to tell Mom and to enter the world of the secretly unemployed. These are people who "save face" by concealing their unfortunate reality from family and friends while they look for new employment. With hope and a stoic commitment to carry the burden alone, Dad departs each day "for work," when, in fact, he is killing time in shopping malls and parks... [ Contract ]