Departures a great movie for English Teachers in Japan!

by Wayne Bergstein
(Vancouver, BC)

"Departures" and "Tokyo Sonata". Both excellent. "Departures" I saw twice and both times was bawling for most of the second half. I do not hesitate to recommend these movies!


Departures, like Tokyo Sonata is a Japanese movie. It won the Academy award for best foreign language film.


The main character Daigo Kobayashi loses his job in an
orchestra in Tokyo. He decides to sell his 18 million yen cello (for much less), and move back to his hometown in Sakata, Yamagata.



He ends up getting a very well paid job, (of which) I will not tell, so as not to spoil the story. Suffice it to say, it isn`t what he, or we the audience expect.
Or does his wife!

Enlightening and makes one think about the meaning of life.

Highly recommeded!