Tora-san, Wish You Were Here

On the sixth anniversary of the death of Mitsuo Suwa’s wife, a memorial service is held at Kurumaya, formerly a long-standing traditional confectionery store on the approach to Taishakuten Temple in Shibamata. It has been reborn as a modern cafe, but the living quarters in the back remain unchanged. After the service, the conversation inevitably turns to lively reminiscences of the past, especially the many times that Torajiro, a travelling salesman and the black sheep of the Kuruma family, brought his latest unrequited love interest back with him, sending the house into an uproar... Half a century has now passed since Torajiro, fondly (and not-so-fondly) referred to as Tora, first returned to Kurumaya after leaving home in his youth. Mitsuo, who was an office worker for many years, now enjoys a career as a full-time writer, after a novel he wrote in his spare time won recognition. His latest work has also been well received, and a book-signing session is held for him to meet and...