The Flavor Of Green Tea Over Rice (JFF Plus)

The Flavor Of Green Tea Over Rice (JFF Plus) (お茶漬けの味, Ochazuke no aji) is a 1952 Japanese film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. The screenplay concerns a wealthy middle-aged couple (played by Shin Saburi and Michiyo Kogure) who have marital difficulties, and their niece who uses the couple's troubles as her excuse for not attending arranged marriage interviews.

Taeko and Mokichi Satake are a childless married couple living in Tokyo. The husband, whom the wife thinks dull, is an executive at an engineering company.

Taeko's friend Aya persuades Taeko to falsely claim to her husband that Taeko's brother's daughter, Setsuko, is ill, so that she can go to a spa with a couple of friends. The plan goes wrong when Setsuko visits her house unexpectedly, but Taeko substitutes the invalid with another friend and obtains consent from her husband to go for a break. At the spa, the four women drink sake and look at the koi in the pond, comparing a slow moving black one to Taeko's husband.

A few days later, Taeko, Aya, and another friend attend a baseball game. They see Aya's husband in the company of another woman, possibly from a bar that he goes to. A public announcement at the game requests that Taeko go home immediately. She does, where Setsuko, who called in the announcement, tells her that her parents want to set up an arranged marriage for her.

After dinner together, Mokichi and Noboru play Pachinko, and Mokichi meets up with an army buddy who now runs the parlor.

Taeko visits her family in Oiso, where they talk about Setsuko and the arranged marriage. Setsuko's family tasks Taeko to act as matchmaker for Setsuko at a kabuki theater; Setsuko runs off midway through the performance.

She goes to see her uncle Mokichi, who is planning with Noboru to go to the bicycle races. Setsuko thinks that arranged marriages are old fashioned. Seeing that Mokichi and Taeko are not happy after their arranged marriage, she is determined to find her own spouse.

Mokichi brings her back to the theater and leaves with Noboru for the bicycle races. Setsuko once again escapes from the arranged marriage meeting at the kabuki theater and meets with Mokichi and Noboru at the bicycle races.

One evening, Mokichi, Noboru, and Setsuko are playing pachinko at a parlor. Mokichi leaves early to go home. Noboru and Setsuko go to a ramen noodle house where they eat and talk about arranged marriages. Later, Setsuko goes to her uncle's house, where Taeko is fuming.

Taeko demands that Mokichi scold Setsuko for not showing up for the arranged marriage meeting, which he does as long as his wife is in earshot. Taeko confronts Mokichi about being with Setsuko without informing her.

The two have an argument, when Mokichi tells her that he finds his old habits hard to break because smoking inferior cigarettes and traveling third-class on a train remind him of the simpler pleasures of life. Taeko, who likes travelling in the first class train cars, leaves in a huff. She becomes so angry that she refuses to speak to her husband for days.

Taeko goes on a train journey by herself away from Tokyo without informing Mokichi. Mokichi's company is sending him to Uruguay on a business trip, and he telegrams her, asking her to return right away without saying why. Everyone goes to the airport to see Mokichi leave.

Taeko was not at the airport and returns home only after Mokichi's airplane has flown off. Two hours into the flight, Mokichi's airplane experiences mechanical troubles and returns to Tokyo; Mokichi's unexpected return home surprises his wife. Mokichi says that he is hungry and Taeko suggests a meal. Not wishing to wake up their servant Fumi, the couple make their way to the unfamiliar to them kitchen where they prepare ochazuke, rice with green tea.

In the process of doing that together, they make up, with Mokichi saying that this was his happiest day since he married her. Taeko understands what her husband has been speaking earlier about simpler pleasures. She apologizes profusely and promises never to leave without a word again. Mokichi accepts, telling her to say no more.

The film ends with Setsuko confiding with Noboru over her aunt's changed attitude. The final scene shows them walking away, arguing in a somewhat playful manner, suggesting that the two have become a couple.