The Taste of Tea

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The Taste of Tea

2003

2h 23m

Comedy

Drama

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100%

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18 Reviews

87%

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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.

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

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G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

Quirky with a capital Q...

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 5, 2007

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Audience Member

Great, well-paced Japanese movie. Kind of has a plot. Kind of.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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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

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Audience Member

The best I've seen so far

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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Audience Member

Those complaining about it being slow probably have ADHD, which is perfectly fine. I found that every second of this film is amazing and there probably is quite a bit of establishing shots, but it further enhances the charm of this movie's plot and settings.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Katsuhito Ishii

Director

Takahiro Sato

Hajime Haruno

Maya Banno

Sachiko Haruno

Tadanobu Asano

Ayano Haruno

Satomi Tezuka

Yoshiko Haruno

Tatsuya Gashuin

Akira Todoroki

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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