Sound of the Tides (1980) Kaichô-on | Region-Free (Blu-Ray) | English Subtitles

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Title: Sound of the Tides (1980)

Genre: Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Iyo, a teenage girl from a bourgeois family living near the Sea of Japan, experiences a profound shift in her household’s dynamics when her father, Riichiro Ujima, rescues an unconscious woman found on the beach and brings her into their home. The presence of this enigmatic woman stirs deep-seated emotions and hidden tensions within the family, leading to a complex exploration of human relationships and societal norms.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Hôjin Hashiura
• Writer: Hôjin Hashiura
• Producer: Art Theatre Guild (ATG)
• Cast:
  • Keiko Oginome as Iyo Ujima
  • Ryô Ikebe as Riichiro Ujima
  • Karin Yamaguchi as the Woman
  • Shigeru Izumiya as Kikunaga
  • Setsuko Karasuma as Sachiko

IMDb Link:
Sound of the Tides (1980)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Emma Fogarty – ★★★☆☆
   “Apparently, the alternate English title is ‘Sound of the Tides’, which I prefer over this title that makes it seem like an Ozu movie.”
2. 𝐒𝐜𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢🍥 – ★★★☆☆
   “Do you ever think you’d like to try living as another person? Hokiriku 1980 A woman is found passed out near the shore and is nursed back to health by a wealthy family. The film centers primarily on the teenage daughter, Iyo; her daily life and perspective of suddenly having a stranger living amongst them. As the woman has no memory of anything, she accepts the kindness of the Ujima’s as she tries desperately to remember. Absolutely adored the coastal Hokiriku setting; an area that has maintained its traditional village style houses, while keeping up with the then modern era conveniences further down the road. The Ujima residence in particular was huge; so the woman was able to have her own space without being too much of a burden. The film is a slow burn, but I found it to be a rewarding experience. The ending was a bit of a surprise, but I felt it was a fitting conclusion to the story.”
3. Daniel Zynda – ★★☆☆☆
   “A long trip through painful memory begins for her, Iyo, and her family. That’s how it’s described in another synopsis of the film. And unfortunately, the trip is also long and painful for us as viewers. Especially in the 80s, there were these long films in Japan that drag on incredibly and where you never really understand what it’s actually about. ‘After Spring’ is one of them. The first 40 minutes already felt like three hours to me. Somehow it’s probably about the neglected daughter with bad experiences who is just in puberty and is thrown off balance by the appearance of a stranger in the house. Unfortunately, nothing about it is gripping or touching. A ‘dead’ film, I advise against it. But at least with Ryo Ikebe.”
4. austerrirst – ★★★★☆
   “Well-shot family melodrama that tells about a family going through a shifting when the father discovers an amnesiac woman by the beach. Has that slow-burn pace to it that shows the dynamics of these people and culminates into a nerve-wracking last half – involving an imagined violence with a rifle.”
5. it’s over – ★★☆☆☆
   “It’s kind of melodramatic and gets dark but it’s ‘meh’. This was a slow burn that doesn’t deliver anything very consistent and the story culminates in nothing. But that’s okay, my man Hôjin Hashiura made 2 great masterpieces after this first film.”

Meta Description:
Sound of the Tides (1980) is a Japanese drama directed by Hôjin Hashiura. The film follows Iyo, a teenage girl whose father brings an unconscious woman into their home, disrupting their family’s equilibrium and prompting a deep exploration of human emotions and societal expectations. Starring Keiko Oginome and Ryô Ikebe, this film offers a poignant look at the complexities of familial relationships.