archytele The Vault

S4·E11 Familyless Life Theater

Aired June 14, 2013

Synopsis

Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture, is a bedroom community about an hour from central Tokyo by train. A 24-hour family restaurant in a corner of the city never ceases to attract customers from early morning to late at night. Elderly people go there every day to eat alone. Some businessmen are enthusiastic about acquiring qualifications, perhaps because of the recession. Single mothers who want to give their children as many happy memories as possible. This film delves into the charms of family restaurants, a mysterious space where various lives intersect at back-to-back tables.