The starting point for this film was the question, “Should I become a parent?” Having come from a troubled home, and never having felt loved by his father, the director wonders what kind of father he would be. Or if he should even become one. A shojo (young girl) gives birth, despite never having given motherhood a thought. Indifferent, she leaves her breasts behind, forcing her son to fend for himself. Desiring love, the man-boy sets out in the sampled city to find his mother, who gives him an icy-cold greeting before self-destructing. These are the experiences of fear, desire and loneliness of young people in Japan. This is their Tokyo Story.