Still Walking
A family gathers together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear.
The film earned $3.5M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Still Walking (2008) reveals deliberately positioned plot construction, characteristic of Hirokazu Kore-eda's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 54 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.6, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ryota and his new family (wife Yukari and stepson Atsushi) travel by train to his childhood home, establishing his position as a middle-aged man with unresolved family tensions and unfulfilled dreams of becoming an art restorer.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when The family discusses the annual visit from Yoshio, the man Junpei saved, highlighting the uncomfortable ritual that keeps everyone trapped in grief. Toshiko's cruel treatment of Yoshio reveals the family's inability to move past the tragedy.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Yoshio, the overweight man Junpei saved, arrives for his obligatory annual visit. His presence forces everyone to confront the reality of Junpei's death and the cruelty of fate—the "wrong" person survived while the golden son died., moving from reaction to action.
At 59 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 52% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat At the family grave, father Kyohei nearly collapses, revealing his physical decline. This moment shifts the day from ritual remembrance of the dead son to confronting the aging and mortality of the living parents, raising stakes about limited time., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Late in the evening, Ryota and his father have a devastating confrontation where father admits he cannot see Ryota as anything but a substitute for the son he lost. The impossible burden of replacing a dead brother is finally spoken aloud, crushing any hope for reconciliation., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The family says goodbye the next morning. Despite everything, there is tenderness in the farewell. Ryota realizes he must accept his parents as they are, flawed and human, rather than waiting for the reconciliation that will never come., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Still Walking's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Still Walking against these established plot points, we can identify how Hirokazu Kore-eda utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Still Walking within the drama genre.
Hirokazu Kore-eda's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Hirokazu Kore-eda films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.4, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Still Walking represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Hirokazu Kore-eda filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Hirokazu Kore-eda analyses, see The Truth, Like Father, Like Son and Nobody Knows.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ryota and his new family (wife Yukari and stepson Atsushi) travel by train to his childhood home, establishing his position as a middle-aged man with unresolved family tensions and unfulfilled dreams of becoming an art restorer.
Theme
Mother Toshiko mentions that "life doesn't always go as planned" while preparing food, establishing the film's central theme about accepting life's disappointments and the passage of time.
Worldbuilding
The family gathers at the Yokoyama home for the annual memorial of Junpei, the eldest son who drowned saving a stranger fifteen years ago. We learn the family dynamics: father Kyohei is a retired doctor, proud and distant; mother Toshiko is passive-aggressive; Ryota feels like a disappointment compared to his dead brother.
Disruption
The family discusses the annual visit from Yoshio, the man Junpei saved, highlighting the uncomfortable ritual that keeps everyone trapped in grief. Toshiko's cruel treatment of Yoshio reveals the family's inability to move past the tragedy.
Resistance
The family prepares for and shares the memorial meal. Small tensions surface: father's disappointment in Ryota not becoming a doctor, mother's subtle criticisms, sister Chinami's attempts to mediate. Ryota resists fully engaging with the family's expectations and rituals.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Yoshio, the overweight man Junpei saved, arrives for his obligatory annual visit. His presence forces everyone to confront the reality of Junpei's death and the cruelty of fate—the "wrong" person survived while the golden son died.
Mirror World
Yukari, Ryota's wife, navigates the family dynamics as an outsider, offering a mirror to Ryota of what acceptance and moving forward could look like. Her gentle presence contrasts with the family's trapped emotional state.
Premise
The day unfolds through mundane activities: eating, talking, looking at old photographs, walking to Junpei's grave. Each moment reveals layers of family resentment, unspoken disappointments, and the weight of trying to honor the dead while living falls short of expectations.
Midpoint
At the family grave, father Kyohei nearly collapses, revealing his physical decline. This moment shifts the day from ritual remembrance of the dead son to confronting the aging and mortality of the living parents, raising stakes about limited time.
Opposition
Tensions escalate. Father criticizes Ryota's career failures. Mother makes cutting remarks about Yukari being a widow with a child. The family's inability to communicate honestly creates mounting pressure. Everyone feels trapped by expectations and disappointments they cannot voice.
Collapse
Late in the evening, Ryota and his father have a devastating confrontation where father admits he cannot see Ryota as anything but a substitute for the son he lost. The impossible burden of replacing a dead brother is finally spoken aloud, crushing any hope for reconciliation.
Crisis
After the confrontation, Ryota and his family prepare to leave. The night ends in uncomfortable silence. Ryota lies awake, processing the realization that he and his father will likely never understand each other, and time is running out.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The family says goodbye the next morning. Despite everything, there is tenderness in the farewell. Ryota realizes he must accept his parents as they are, flawed and human, rather than waiting for the reconciliation that will never come.
Synthesis
Ryota and his family walk away from the house. Mother watches them go. Later scenes show the parents continuing their routine, growing older. Time passes, showing the ordinary flow of life and aging, neither tragic nor triumphant.
Transformation
Title card reveals that the father died the following year, and Ryota regrets not visiting more often. The final image mirrors the opening: life goes on, imperfect and incomplete. Ryota has learned to accept that time cannot be recovered, only the present can be lived.