Shukichi Hirayama
Shukichi is the patriarch of the Hirayama family. He formerly worked for the school board and is now retired. He and his wife, Tomi take a trip to Tokyo to visit their children in order to spend time with them and see the sights of the big city. He finds that his children are different than when they are little, but blessed that they are better than most. Shukichi was a former heavy drinker before his youngest daughter, Kyoko was born. He is left alone when Tomi unexpectedly goes into a coma and passes away.
Tomi Hirayama
Tomi is the matriarch of the family. She is a gentle woman with a kind spirit. She arrives in Tokyo to find that her children aren't as kind or caring as she remembered, but finds great joy in her time with Noriko, her deceased son's widow. After the trip to the big city Tomi falls ill and goes into a coma. Her illness brings her family together one last time before she passes away peacfully in her sleep.
Noriko
Noriko is the widow of Shoji, the second oldest son of Shukichi and Tomi. She has mourned his death in World War II for eight years. Shukichi and Tomi ask her to move on and marry another man as they believe her to be the kindest woman they know. Noriko believes that she is selfish as she goes days without thinking of her former husband. Of everyone in Tokyo Noriko treats Shukichi and Tomi with the most honor and respect. She goes out of her way to make them feel special and ensure their first trip to the big city is memorable. What is most notable about Noriko is her perspective on life. Through her experience of pain and loss she has come to see people for the best of who they are instead of seeing the worst parts of them. This wisdom is passed to Kyoko, Shukichi and Tomi's youngest daughter at the end of the film.
Shige
Shige is the eldest daughter of Shukichi and Tomi. She and her husband run a beauty salon that keeps them very busy. Shige carries an embarrassment of her parents from her childhood that festers its way into her view of them. She does her best to find the most inexpensive ways to entertain them while they are in Tokyo. This leads to her and Koichi sending them to Atami for the hot springs, but the hotel she puts them in is more of a gambling den than a peacful getaway and they decide to leave Tokyo all together. Shige tells everyone of the good talks her and her mother had while in Tokyo, which is a lie as she never made time for her.
Koichi
Koichi is the eldest child of Shukichi and Tomi. He is married and has two children. They live in a suburb of Tokyo where he is a doctor of internal medicine and children's diseases. Koichi is constantly working and has little time for both his family and his parents while they are in Tokyo. And when given the opportunity to send his parents to Atami in order to save money he takes it.
Kyoko
Kyoko is the youngest child of Shukichi and Tomi. She is a school teacher and is the gentlest and kindest, but sees through her brother's and sister's lack of respect for their parents. She is the only child that has stayed behind to live with her parents and lives in a way that honors and gives respect to her parents. In the end we see how she is very much like Noriko, just younger. And at the risk of allowing her to become bitter, Noriko gives her the wisdom to see the best in her brothers and sisters because nothing is ever perfect.
Keizo
Keizo is the youngest son of Shukichi and Tomi. He lives in Osaka away from his other siblings. Keizo isn't seen much in the film, but the purpose of this is to reveal his character as he isn't seen or heard from by his parents either. He doesn't show up to greet them at the Osaka station on their way to Japan, and he decides to wait to get on a train the next day to see his sick mother. She passes away before he arrives and he's crushed by the fact that he cannot serve his mother from the grave.
