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The Taste of Tea

Play trailer Poster for The Taste of Tea 2003 2h 23m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
The Haruno family makes its way in a small town in rural Japan. Yoshiko (Satomi Tezuka) is an artist and her husband, Nobuo (Tomokazu Miura), is a hypnotist. Their son, Hajime (Maya Banno), has fallen in love with a girl at school, while his sister, Sachiko (Takahiro Sato), is seeing bizarre visions, usually her own gigantic doppelganger following her through town, a specter she's convinced will go away if only she can pull off a perfect backflip.

Critics Reviews

View All (18)
Anton Bitel Little White Lies while there are multiple characters and all manner of oddball excursions, everything is anchored in a gentle, affectionate view of a household whose members are ever so slowly finding themselves. Oct 5, 2020 Full Review G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle Quirky with a capital Q... Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 5, 2007 Full Review Tom Keogh Seattle Times The film could easily lose a half-hour, but it rewards with a promise that there are unexpected marvels in the world and moments of real grace. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 27, 2007 Full Review Pieter-Jan Van Haecke Psychocinematography The Taste of Tea, a light-hearted and peaceful sketch of life in rural Japan, offers the spectator a satisfying kaleidoscopic exploration of the emotional fabric of life and the importance of familial bonds. Feb 3, 2025 Full Review Chase Burns The Stranger (Seattle, WA) I really, really like this film; it's something I want to carry around with me and replay in my head. Jan 20, 2022 Full Review Alix Turner Ready Steady Cut A beautiful piece of escapism, The Taste of Tea follows a family in rural Japan finding themselves and connections with each other. Rated: 4/5 Feb 18, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member A cinematic meditation on acceptance. The movie presents a family of beautifully self-possessed souls, each inhabiting a state of profound, gentle grace with themselves and the surreal currents of their lives. What is so captivating is the serene equilibrium they maintain. Each member is deeply immersed in their own idiosyncratic passions, yet their individual orbits coexist in an unspoken symphony of mutual respect. This pervasive harmony envelops the viewer in a state of profound, almost magical, tranquillity. The film is a quiet endorsement of following one’s intuition and the understated power of emotional honesty. Its true artistry lies in an exquisite subtlety, weaving a world from nuanced gestures and softly spoken truths that feel utterly essential. To have witnessed it is to feel a deep and resonant sense of gratitude. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/14/25 Full Review Raik S "The Taste Of Tea" is clearly influenced by the slow-paced style of Yasujiro Ozu. But, it adds surreal ideas and quirky character traits to this lovely family living somewhere in rural Japan. Every family member gets their own sub-plot in this kind-of collection of short stories, that intertwine due to the different relationships woven into the family's fabric. It's wholesome, funny, kinda absurd and eccentric. And, it cares a lot about its protagonists. If you're fine with the pace and style, you'll love this movie – it's my all-time favorite. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review acsdoug D Normally I don't care for movies that sacrifice a coherent plot to indulge in "artistic expression," but I really didn't mind it in this film, probably because it keeps its sense of humor. The "Mountain" music video needs to seen to be believed. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/15/23 Full Review Audience Member "It's more cool than weird and it stays in your head." <3 It 's a fantastic, absurd meditation on rural family life and creativity. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Great, well-paced Japanese movie. Kind of has a plot. Kind of. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member It was on my "to watch" list for a while, pretty much because of the high rating that I saw here. Today I set time aside and watched it. I felt that I truly wasted those 2 and something hours. It was slow, weird but not amusing, it did not make me feel anything, I have not learned anything new, and all in all I did not find it enjoyable at all. The characters are a wacky and bizarre. I have no idea what was the story, nor IF there was a story. More like random fragments in the life of a random family. I give one star for the scenery and music. One of the most off the wall and boring films that I had the misfortune to watch in a while. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Taste of Tea

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Movie Info

Synopsis The Haruno family makes its way in a small town in rural Japan. Yoshiko (Satomi Tezuka) is an artist and her husband, Nobuo (Tomokazu Miura), is a hypnotist. Their son, Hajime (Maya Banno), has fallen in love with a girl at school, while his sister, Sachiko (Takahiro Sato), is seeing bizarre visions, usually her own gigantic doppelganger following her through town, a specter she's convinced will go away if only she can pull off a perfect backflip.
Director
Katsuhito Ishii
Producer
Kazuto Takida, Kazutoshi Wadakura
Screenwriter
Katsuhito Ishii
Production Co
AOI Pro, Grasshoppa
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (DVD)
Jul 3, 2007
Runtime
2h 23m