A war widow (Takamine) lives a quiet existence caring for her aging in-laws and managing their sake shop. Their neíer-do-well son (Kayama) returns from Tokyo and continues to live a life of philandering and intemperance until he falls for his brotherís widow. Unfortunately, his family wants her to remarry outside of their clan so they will not have to carry her burden, which leads to tragic results for the would-be lovers. This family melodrama provides a convincing depiction of romance between an older woman and a younger man and explores the impact of modernization on traditional family values.