Trivia

The scene in which Noriko walks with her sister-in-law, Fumiko, to the beach at Kamakura contains the only crane shot in all the extant films of director Yasujirô Ozu.

According to Ozu, the concept of this film required an unusual approach to story and plot structure. As he wrote, "I wanted in this picture to show a life cycle. I wanted to depict mutability (rinne). I was not interested in action for its own sake. And I've never worked so hard in my life... I didn't push the action at all, and the ending, in consequence, should leave the audience with a poignant aftertaste."

Kenkichi Yabe mentions reading "Wheat and Soldiers', a book written by Ashihei Hino (1907 -1960) (real name: Katsunori Tamai). Hino had served as an infantryman in the Sino-Japanese war and published this book based on his experiences there. The book achieved success in Japan equivalent to that achieved by "All Quiet on the Western Front" in Germany.

The ending scene was filmed at Mount Miminashi in Kashihara, Nara.

This was the final film by Yasujirô Ozu to win the Best Film of the Year award in the annual poll held by Kinema Junpo magazine. (The poll is still published every year to this day.) It was his sixth "Best One" in the poll, as films he had directed that were released in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1940 and 1949 had also won. This represented the most wins of any director in Japanese cinema history... a record that still stands.