Departures

Departures is a film directed by TAKITA Yojiro. It tells the story of a young man, Daigo, whose lack of success in Tokyo has caused him to move back home to Sakata, Yamagata, in the Tohoku Region. In need of a job, he responds to a newspaper ad for what he thinks is a travel agent position. He soon learns otherwise, as the job is actually for encoffining. He is reproached by his wife and friends, but continues with his job nonetheless. His time as an encoffiner is spent under the mentorship of his boss, and allows him to take on a new perspective on death. The film ends with Daigo being reunited with his pregnant wife, and performing the encoffining ceremony for his own father.