Yoshida Kiju

88.  "There are various images of objects staring at the elderly couple.  For instance, the couple does not look at the landscapes of Tokyo as unfamiliar spectacles, but rather the landscapes of Tokyo look at them."

89.  "It is a mistake to believe that all things in the world are simply things to be looked at, or that it is human beings who always look at these objects such as the air pillows.  On the contrary, the air pillows have always been in the bag whether the couple forgets about them or not.  While the couple does not look at the pillows, the pillows have been looking at the couple the entire time.  Thus, the act of looking by human beings is filled with carelessness and ambiguity.  It is as if they were looking in order to overlook, to misread, or to forget.  In this sense, the objects always stare at human beings, making no mistakes.  The episode of the air pillows could be Ozu-san's ecstatic, apocalyptic message that human beings are never alone as long as the numerous things in the world are gazing at them."

90.  "As a void, Tokyo stares at the couple, not vice versa."

91.  "the image of the dead son invoked by the couple's nostalgic dialogue could not be fully achieved by any photo."

92.  "The invisible photo of the dead son stares at viewers as the air pillows do, as invisible gazes."

92.  "The absent landscapes of Tokyo gaze at the couple, as well as the viewers."

95.  "Only because they are the couple's biological children can theyt ignore their own parents.  There is an unconscious tie and an unshakable trust among them.  The widow does not have such a tie with the couple, and thus she must be good to them because she is not a blood relative.  They are ultimately strangers."
IT IS BECAUSE OF STATEMENTS LIKE THIS THAT I APPRECIATE YOSHIDA SO MUCH.  I HAD HELD A SIMILAR PERSPECTIVE, SO I WAS GLAD TO READ YOSHIDA SAY A SIMILAR THING.  WHAT YOSHIDA DESCRIBES COMES ACROSS THROUGH THE USE OF LANGUAGE; UNFORTUNATELY, MANY WESTERN "EXPERTS" ON OZU DO NOT SPEAK JAPANESE.  NORIKO ALWAYS USES VERY POLITE LANGUAGE TO REFER TO SHUKICHI AND TOMI: "OTOOSAMA," "OKAASAMA."  SHUKICHI AND TOMI SAY THAT NORIKO IS A GOOD "HITO" (PERSON).   THE WORD "HITO" WOULD NOT BE USED TO DESCRIBE A BLOOD RELATIVE.  ALSO, NORIKO IS REFERRED TO AS "TANIN," LITERALLY, "OTHER PERSON"--THAT IS, A PERSON OTHER THAN FAMILY.  YES, NORIKO IS A GOOD PERSON, BUT SHE'LL NEVER BE FAMILY.  AND THEREFORE, SHE WILL ALWAYS BE "OTHER" TO THE HIRAYAMA FAMILY.  HER "GOODNESS" COMES WITH A SENSE OF EMPTINESS.