Perfect Days

WARNING! Contain full spoilers

Plot

The film follows the daily life of a middle-aged public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He lives alone, watering small potted plants in his apartment, which has a cool purple glow from outside. His routine includes reading books before bed and buying cheap second-hand books after finishing each one. He cleans toilets, showers at public baths, dines at small restaurants, and visits a bar where he seems to have a connection with the owner. On his days off, he does laundry and relaxes.

Unexpected events occasionally break his routine. He helps a young coworker, leaving himself without gas money and forced to sell cassette tapes. Later, his coworker quits, making work more exhausting. One day, his niece, who ran away from home, stays with him briefly. Her mother, his sister, appears well-off, but the film never explains why he lives this way. The scene ends with him crying, seemingly burdened by unresolved issues with his father.

Another moment introduces the bar owner’s ex-husband, causing the protagonist to show signs of jealousy. The movie ends powerfully with him driving, tears streaming down his face as if overwhelmed by emotion. The final scene plays Feeling Good by Nina Simone.

My Thoughts

I loved the protagonist’s simple lifestyle—it’s the kind of life I enjoy and could see myself living. The niece was adorable, making that part of the film enjoyable. If I were in his situation at work, I would have split the workload over different days instead of exhausting myself. The jealousy scene slightly dropped my admiration for him—he had seemed so cool, but it also made him feel more human. The ending left me feeling both moved and confused, and I immediately looked up the song to listen again.