Studio Ghibli Collection

Only Yesterday

Taeko Okajima, an office girl from Tokyo, decides to take a ten-day vacation in the country. Not having any close family to stay with, she chooses to visit some relatives of her sister’s husband and work on their safflower farm. The slow, laborious process of harvesting the crops gives Taeko an opportunity to reflect on her past, and what her life goals might be. With flashbacks to her school days, we follow Taeko’s thoughts as she becomes aware that her life, although steadily evolving, has for the most part been unfulfilling and aimless.

Taeko finds a friend in Toshio, a second cousin who supports organic farming, and through their friendship she re-evaluates her life, realising that with a little help from the past, she may yet be able to build a new future. ‘Only Yesterday’ offers a study on the profound beauty of rural life, positioned alongside nostalgic reflections of 1960s Japan.

• “Only Yesterday is a sensational allegory of life... and without a doubt one of the finest anime ever created”

  – Animeacademy.com

• “A gentle, rich and moving film... her story is funny, exhilerating and poignant”

  – AnimeonDVD.com

• “A semi-autobiographical story tinged with memories both cherished and enlightening.”

  – BFI Screen Guides: 100 Anime