How do characters associate themselves with the space that they live in? (Shweta)

    The welcoming of Shukichi and Tomi into Koichi and Fumiko’s house is followed by a disruption of Minoru’s space. The movement of Minoru’s desk suggests that his house does not have the natural space to accommodate more people and builds on the idea that the introduction of Shukichi and Tomi is in fact disruptive to this household. Koichi’s doctor’s office is also in his house and we see the children accommodate this room instead, when otherwise they may have moved into the living room. This is where we later see Minoru studying and where him and his little brother move to during their tantrum. It is interesting to see Minoru’s transition as he settles into the doctor’s office, studying, but also when his disappointment spills out of this space (when he throws something outside). This could mean that the children learn to adapt, perhaps naturally and due to the force of their elders, into a new environment. Conversely, the shots of the elders, especially in the kitchen of this household are taken from a distance and appears cramped. The space they now occupy is tiny, indicating both their inability and unwillingness to accommodate their parents. 

    In contrast, we don’t see Shukichi and Tomi entering or being welcomed into Noriko’s house. We get a shot of the parents facing a frame of their late child and Noriko is first seen to enter her neighbor’s room. The way in which Noriko lives accommodates more than her immediate surroundings and there are no arguments about food arrangements which seems to overpower to shots in the other household. The sense of space shifts along with its narrative in which Koichi and Fumiko manage their day to day tasks and any obstruction causes an outburst. Conversely, Noriko’s household goes against this norm. She does not have children that take up any space, nor does she have the obligation to stay back to look after the house (unlike Fumiko)- she does not take up space in the house herself. Her house does not seem to have any disruption and is not seemingly disrupted by the presence of the parents, but since the frame of her husband is in view in most scenes, his death is directly confronted. We could say that Shukichi and Tomi do in fact disrupt Noriko’s shrine-like space. She would probably not have been living in this space if her husband were still alive, and by bringing in a frame of her late husband, Noriko in a sense, keeps her husband alive in it.