From Up on Poppy Hill (Film)

## Synopsis

In 1963, 17-year-old Umi Matsuzaki lives on the Yokohama port. On Poppy Hill is where she lives. She resides with Sachiko Hirokouji, Makimura, Miki Hokuto, her grandmother Hana Matsuzaki, her sister Sora Matsuzaki, her brother Riku Matsuzaki, and their other family members. Miki and Sachiko, who are tenants, only temporarily occupy the home. Miki is completing a doctoral medical internship at the hospital while Sachiko is a visual artist. Ryouko, their mother, is in the United States getting advanced training and is not at home. She practices medicine and conducts research.

The Matsuzaki home, Coquelicot Manor, comprises two houses and a garden. A hallway connects the two houses. Grandma Hana resides in the little house, which is to the left of the big house. She can see the ocean plainly. In the large mansion, the others reside. The church is located to the left of the homes. The garden contains a pond. In a room on the second floor, Umi and Sora sleep. On the first floor, the kitchen also has a dining room table, a family shrine, and a phone. The garden, where flags can be flown, is accessed through a sliding door.

The first to wake is Umi, her daily schedule: She prepares the rice, by the dining room table, there is a vase with flowers in it, she changes their water, In front of a picture of Umi's father, Yūichirō Sawamura, on the family shrine, are flowers. She goes outside to raise flags that mean “I hope you [the passing ships] have a safe journey”. Shun Kazama rides his father's ship to the harbor. He reacts with a three-flag signal after noticing the flag signal. He exits the ship and keeps riding his bike to school.

Breakfast is made by Umi for everyone residing in the home. First one into the kitchen is Makimura. Miki then enters with a fatigued face. She worked a night shift last night and is working another night shift today. Umi promises to keep dinner for her. Next, Riku walks into the kitchen. He eats a lot and his socks no longer fit. Breakfast is served with salad, a fried egg, and salami. Everything has been covered in soy sauce by Miki. Makimura, however, kindly informs her that she dislikes soy, but regrettably it is too late.

The next person to enter is Sachiko Hirokouji. The short form of her family name, Hiro, serves as her nickname. Riku is impatient and eager to begin his meal. He is advised to wait for his grandmother, nevertheless. The family sits down to eat together after wishing grandma bon appetit. Then Sora enters. Umi exits the house where she meets Tomoko after the supper. Her spouse Gen serves as her driver. She works as a housewife but does not reside there. Tomoko registers at Hana's house. To get Umi to school, Gen volunteers to drive. Umi, however, declines politely, citing the fact that she only has a short walk to school. Umi meets her friends Yuuko and Nobuko Yokoyama at Konan Academy. As she receives the school newspaper for today, May 14, 1963, Nobuko points out the poetry in the bottom left corner.

The poem details Umi's early flag-signaling custom. Shun Kazama of the newspaper club is the author. Yoshino, a member of the math club, overheard the conversation while standing next to the girls. He believes Umi ought to send messages in bottles as soon as possible. Nobuko is outraged by this and expresses her opinion right away. The lecture starts when the teacher walks into the room. Nobuko has a quick temper. This is demonstrated during lunch when she joins Yuuko and Umi after returning from the canteen. Yuuko remarks that there is curry once more. Nobuko responds, sounding a little irritated.

Boys rush out of their classroom in droves, many of them stick their necks outside. The females are taken aback. Shirou Mizunuma and Shun Kazama are standing on a rooftop. Shun advances toward the roof's edge. Shirou issues the order to hoist the flags. Banners that read "demonstration counter-demonstration" descend from the classroom windows. The fence surrounding the school pond is being hauled away in the schoolyard. The photojournalists are prepared. Shun leaps, initially tumbling into the bushes, before flying to the school pond.

While the kids applaud Shun for his audacious deed, Umi anxiously and automatically runs to the pond. Shun looks at Umi as he raises his head from the water and extends his hand. Shun is rescued from the pond by Umi. Shun jumps back into the water when Umi pulls her hand away, realizing she is being photographed and that everyone in the school is staring at her. Shun is helped back up by the group. That night, Umi goes back to her house. Tomoko tells Umi that she recently purchased fish on discount. Umi promises to fry the fish. She visits her grandma Hana in the manor's small house section.

Hana compliments Umi on her efficient housekeeping, but Umi diverts the compliment to Tomoko. Hana admits that seeing the flag signal every morning makes her depressed and worries if Umi is working herself too hard. She hopes Umi finds someone to help her escape her unhappiness soon. Sora discusses Shun's fan club and the incident at school with Makimura and Sachiko. Umi realizes that Shun resembles her father Yūichirō Sawamura as she lowers the flags. Umi reads today's school newspaper once more before retiring to bed.

Sora waits for her older sister Umi after school. She claims that she joined Shun's fan club and spent 30 yen on a picture when speaking to her sister. To obtain Shun's autograph, she needs Umi to go with her to the Latin Quarter clubhouse. Umi declines, but Sora persists until Umi agrees. To the left of the main structure is where you'll find the old historic clubhouse. In front of the clubhouse, the two girls encounter the astronomy club, which consists of two men and a telescope. Umi and Sora ask how to get to the newspaper club.

They then walk into the club. There is a lot of chaos inside. Ropes are dangling from ceilings, and the flooring is covered with a variety of things. Ropes are used as a pulley. A boy who lives in a shack welcomes them. They ask the same question once more. Going up one more floor, they meet the philosophy club president, who tries to win the girls over to his club and asks if they like to read Friedrich Nietzsche. But three chemical club members interrupt their conversation: Out of the lab, a yellow-green haze is seen.

The three guys, who are conducting elementary study, run away. The chemical club is on the upper floor, where the girls proceed. The drama club and the technology club are both located on this floor. A yellow tent and the club rooms for the Literature Club, Archaeology Club, and Newspaper Club are located on the third floor. The girls run into two Literature Club members outside the club room. At first, Yamazaki is taken aback to see girls in front of him. He extends a greeting and makes himself known. They are then allowed to enter the club room. How to bring in more members is being discussed by the archeology club as they recently lost members. In the room, the girls encounter Shun and Shirou. Sora gives the picture to Shun. He gives it a skeptical glance. He should sign it, Shirou tells him. Since he is preoccupied with the demolition demonstration, Shirou asks the girls whether they can help. Shirou is the pupil who represents the entire school. Printing of Shirou's physics exam is required. Shirou has always performed exceptionally well in physics, according to Shun. Suzuki, his physics instructor, did not award him a perfect grade on the most recent exam, though. Shirou wants to pick Shun up for the clubhouse meeting at 6 p.m., so he travels with Sora. Umi receives a sheet of linoleum from Shun to write the text on.

Shun prints the newspaper for the following day in the interim. Shirou comes back around six o'clock. Umi rushes home after being startled by the late hour. Umi's culinary schedule includes curry. She asks Sachiko, sometimes known as Hiro, to assist her. Sachiko uses the floor trap door to obtain vegetables. Umi notices that there is no longer any pork in the refrigerator, she used it for lunch. She requests that Riku and Sora buy pork. But they are too preoccupied with watching TV with Hana. Umi must therefore go shopping by herself. She meets Shun, who takes her on a bicycle ride down to the valley.

She spends 230 yen at the butcher to purchase 400g of pork. Shun hands her bread after buying his bread. Because he lives near a port, he will need the snack for the lengthy trip home. The two part ways. In the morning, Umi goes into Sachiko's room because she didn't show up for breakfast. She believes Sachiko is ill. Sachiko, who painted at night, is still in bed and exhausted. She examines the artwork Sachiko created and identifies a boat responding to Umi's flag signal.

Shun gives Umi the completed page in the morning and compliments her on her neat handwriting. They must, however, move quickly because otherwise, they will miss class. Noboku and Yuuko ask Umi if she wants to go get ice cream with them after school. They would typically be attending their school club. But it's been postponed due to the argument. Because she needs to go fish shopping, Umi declines. as a result of Tomoko taking the day off. The two attend the debate in the auditorium as a result. Umi makes the sudden decision to attend the debate while she is in the market and about to purchase fish.

The clubhouse speaker and Shirou are there on stage. According to the speaker, the clubhouse will be demolished since 80% of the students want to construct a new one. This starts a boisterous discussion. "Destroy the old and you destroy our memory of the past! Don't you care about the people who lived and died before us? There is no future for the people who worship the future and forget the past! Democracy doesn't mean you can ignore the minority.” says Shun. The majority then tries to get him off the stage. A fight breaks out, and Shirou sings a sailor song to put an end to it. Then a man in white and an official go into the theater. They walk around the room before leaving silently once more; in the students' singing:

Umi suggests to Shun that they fix the clubhouse on the way home, suggesting to get the girls to help them. Linoleum sheets are provided by Shun. She quickly buys fish in the market after that. While Umi is working on the film (Fix this), Sora tells Miki what occurred at school. You discover a lot about Shirou through Miki: Shirou is the pupil who represents the entire school. The younger brother of Miki attends Shirou's class. The older sister of Shirou works in astrophysics.

A whiskey bottle is placed on the table by Makimura while Umi gets cheese. Miki declares that the end of her medical school studies is imminent. She inquires about Umi's desire to invite some of her friends to a graduation celebration. Umi signals with another flag signal the following day. Shirou and Shun are behind her. Shun interprets the Hokuto flag signal. The graduation party in the backyard is open to the two boys. The housemates and Miki's previous classmates have been invited. Umi brings the sushi, while Tomoko prepares the meals.

Umi gives Shun a tour of the large, 60-year-old mansion after the meal. She explains to him that the home was formerly a hospital. The flags are visible from the hallway to the balcony. She continues by saying that her father showed her how to raise flags. Her mother and her three children were forced to live with her grandparents after Sawamura passed away. Her grandfather noticed how dejected his granddaughter looked since she could hoist the flags, he constructed the flagpole. A cat-themed wooden sign is hung above the doorway. Her grandfather enjoyed felines. The office once used by her grandfather is across the balcony. Her mother now owns the office.

Umi gestures to her father's picture on a photo wall in the office. Shun is startled when he recognizes the photo. Umi retrieves a folder from the desk. There is a picture of three men in the photo. Shun mentions Yūichirō Sawamura while he examines the photo, Sawamura is Umi's father. About her father, Umi says: The mother of Umi, Ryouko, has a different last name than Yūichirō. Ryouko's parents disapproved of the couple's plans to wed. She left her house and moved in with Sawamura as a result. During the Korean War, Sawamura was the commander of a supply ship. The ship sank after being struck by a water mine. He did not make it.

Everyone leaves the ceremony and returns home. Shun thinks of his biological father on walking home. He takes his time getting home and is late. His mom is concerned. His father, Akio Kazama, who is watching a baseball game, welcomes him. Shun opens a book and turns to a copy of the exact same photo. Shirou delivers a statement of gratitude the following day as the cleaning team for the females enters the clubhouse. The guys and girls then start cleaning. Shun and Umi do the cleaning in the literature clubroom. She finds the collection of math examinations in the process. Umi finds out Miki received a perfect score on the final arithmetic exam. Shun leans in close to her with fascination before leaving the room silently to make repairs.

Since then, they haven't exchanged words. Shun doesn't even acknowledge Umi when she bids Sora farewell although they are both standing nearby. Shirou queries Shun about his interaction with Umi in the evening while they are both in the restroom. Shun is hesitant to respond. The following morning, Shun asks his father Akio Kazama over the biological paternity of Yūichirō Sawamura. They have already discussed it, Akio replies. Then silence follows. Akio explains how he met Shun: Sawamura visited Akio's home one evening shortly after World War II while holding a newborn in his arms. The infant's birth year was the same as Umi's.

He explained that because he didn't want to leave the child to an orphanage, he had registered the infant in the office under his name. Akio's wife was overcome with excitement as soon as she laid eyes on the infant. She grabbed it right away and started nursing it. Because she had lately lost her child, she was delighted about the new arrival. Sawamaru frequently came to assist the two. Akio continues by saying that as Shun ages, he starts to resemble Sawamura more and more before asserting himself as Shun’s father. Shun didn't raise the flag signal that morning.

Miki packs her belongings at Matsuzaki's home. Miki is bid farewell by Umi as she leaves for school. Shun distributes the student newspapers for today at the school gate. He does this without speaking to Umi. Umi waits for Shun outside the school gate after classes. Then Shun shows up and drives with her home. He is confronted by Umi about his odd behavior. He tells her that they are related and that they should stick with being friends moving forward.

Umi is dejected. She got home unusually late, and the other residents could tell she was depressed because dinner wasn't tasty. They enquire as to her condition from Sora. Umi has nightmares about losing her father. As a young girl, she strolls across her neighborhood before seemingly awakening. She discovers her mother preparing a meal as she descends the stairs in her pajamas. When shocked Umi inquires about her return, her mother responds that she has "always been here." When Umi hears her father screaming for her, she runs to embrace him. He tells Umi that her flags led him back and that he plans to remain for a very long time.

She sobs when she awakens. Umi hoists flags in the morning despite the rain. Two of Miki's former classmates inspect the clubhouse's renovations. Shirou is given their word that they will donate supplies for the restoration. Noboku instructs the student philosopher on how to plaster walls at the clubhouse. Her father instructed her while he was at a building job. Again, Shun and Umi converse. In the evening, she wished to provide a hand. Because Sora is handling the cooking today, she has the time to do it. Linoleum sheets are provided by Shun. She bids farewell.

The repairs are finished after many days, and the bell now chimes. Shirou invites Umi to stay even though she is already ready to return home. He brings the disappointing news that the clubhouse will be destroyed. Shun and Shirou agree that Umi should go to Tokyo with them as school representatives. The group arrives in Tokyo the following day, where they are met by a sign for the 1964 Olympics. They sign up for an unplanned meeting with Tokumaru at the front desk. They then take the elevator to the fourth story, where they are met by Tokumaru's secretary, who also provides them with refreshments. After a protracted wait, Tokumaru, who is sporting sandals, welcomes the group.

They are led to his office by him. He gets invited to go to the clubhouse by Shirou. He glances at Umi and inquires about her age and the reason behind her interest in the clubhouse. Umi adds that since everyone loves the house, they all put a lot of effort into renovating it. Then he inquires as to what her father's occupation is. She explains to him that her father was a captain and how the Korean War took his life. Tokumaru remarks that her mother must have struggled to raise all three of her siblings but that she did an excellent job. He promises the group that he will stop by the clubhouse the next afternoon, much to their surprise and happiness.

To rearrange his Friday appointments, he makes a call to his secretary. The group bids farewell. Shirou then departs from the party in order to go see his uncle in Tokyo. Umi and Shun discuss what they want to be when they grow up at the harbor in Tokyo. Shun is still undecided about his academic interests. Umi aspires to be a doctor. Before boarding the tram, Umi confesses to Shun her love for him. Shun gives her the same response before Umi gets into the streetcar and leaves.

Umi notices her mother Ryouko Matsuzaki's red shoes when she gets home. She rushes to her. Riku and Sachiko are consuming beef jerky that Ryoko provided. The mother was studying to be a doctor in the country. Umi informs her mother that Shun is her biological brother when she is still unpacking her suitcase. The mother describes the moment her father brought the child into the house: Yūichirō Sawamura traveled frequently, therefore Ryouko was forced to handle a lot of tasks on her own. While Ryouko was a medical student and was pregnant with Umi.

One evening, Sawamura arrived at his house with the infant Shun, whose mother died giving birth to him. Sawamura claimed that the infant was Hiroshi Tachibana's son. On a repair ship, Tachibana and the rest of Shun’s family died in an accident. Shun was too valuable for Sawamura to donate to an overrun orphanage. Tachibana was a close friend of his, and he was unable to subject his own child to such treatment. The civil office required him to register Shun as his child. Ryouko, however, was unable to parent a child with her college work and being pregnant. Finally, he presented the infant to Akio Kazama. Shun, though, reminds Umi a lot of her father, which is why she still worries. In her mother's arms, she sobs.

The following morning, Ryuko takes care of the housework. She makes a call to meet Akio after the kids go to school. They meet at a bar. Tokumaru visits the clubhouse in the afternoon with the school principal and a man. At the clubhouse, all the pupils are waiting for him. The astronomy club is questioned by Tokumaru about their preliminary findings. They respond that they have spent ten years monitoring the sun. They came to the conclusion that while human life expectancy is quite short, the sun is extremely old.

While the school's headmaster shakes his head in the background, Tokumaru grinned. The philosophy club has two new members, so he moves on to them. "Was ist das Leben ohne Liebesglanz" is written in German on the right side of the pink cabin. He inquires as to the philosophy student's desire for a larger cabin. The student quotes Diogenes as saying, "The philosophy club need only be satisfied with a barrel." The students then sing:

He turns his head to face the other students. Then he says, "Well, thanks to you, I've come to understand the genuine worth of your clubhouse. As the Commissioner of Education, I am responsible for preserving our culture as a precious resource. He continues by saying that the clubhouse's demolition will never happen and that he’ll find another spot for the new building for the Olympics. Umi is lauded by the pupils, who shout heartily for her. Shun receives a call from Akio informing him that Yoshio Onodera's ship would be in port today and that Yoshio knows more about his biological father. At 4 pm, the ship will depart, and it won't return to port for months.

Umi and Shun have 40 minutes. They proceed toward the harbor by walking. When they run across Gen, he offers to drive them to the harbor. They subsequently encounter a traffic bottleneck, though. They proceed to the harbor, where Akio's ship is already waiting for them, and ride from there. The two board the Koyo Maru Yokohama of Onodera. A 15-minute delay in departure is mandated by Captain Onodera to his crew. He displays a picture of Tachibana's group and starts to tell the story, telling Umi what Ryoko has already informed her about her father: Captain Hiroshi Tachibana led a fleet of ships under his command. He is seated on the chair in the picture, between Sawamaru and Onodera. Tachibana, who was killed in an accident on a repair ship, is Shun's father.

During the birth of Shun, his wife passed away; Yoshio had personally been there. Finally, he expresses his delight at seeing Shun and Umi. In Japanese, he perceives that his closest pals are standing in front of him. In English, he states that both his friends would be proud of the legacy they left behind. They thank him together. Umi raises the flag signal as normal the following morning. With the theme tune Sayonara no Natsu playing in the background, Sachiko Hirokōji's artwork appears during the closing credits.