Set in a charming location in Hokkaido, “Bread of Happiness” could easily pass as a promotional film for the region’s tourism board. In fact, it was originally intended as part of a series of films written and directed by Yukiko Mishima, showcasing the natural beauty of northern Japan. It was followed in 2014 by “A Drop of the Grapevine”, which is, so far, the last instalment of this Hokkaido project.
Bread of Happiness is streaming on JFF Theater until 2025/05/01 11:00:00 [JST]
The story takes place across the four seasons. It begins with a lovely fairytale, “Tsuki to Mani” (The Moon and Mani), which Rie (actress and singer Tomoyo Harada) used to read as a child. She loved Mani for his kindness, care, and support for the melancholic Moon, and she dreamed of finding her own Mani one day. But life takes you in different directions, and as she grew up, her dreams faded away. After struggling with work in Tokyo and losing her dear father, Rie decides to follow Mizushima (Yo Oizumi) and open a café with rooms, called Mani, in Tsukiura—a beautiful district overlooking Lake Toya in Hokkaido, northern Japan.
There, Rie brews aromatic coffee and cooks with seasonal ingredients, while Mizushima bakes delicious bread using the best of what the land offers. Their blond-wood-clad café is a meeting place for a variety of customers, each bringing their own joys and troubles, and the meals prepared by Rie and Mizushima —like a sort of magic potion—seems to help them navigate their otherwise difficult life-decisions. In this microcosm, a young woman Kaori (Kanna Mori), left alone on a holiday she had planned with her love interest, unexpectedly meets someone better (Yuta Hiraoka); little girl Miku (Yuki Yago) reconnects with her father (Ken Mitsuishi) after a painful divorce and finally accepts that her mother will not return; an elderly couple (Misako Watanabe and Katsuo Nakamura), having lost their daughter in the last big earthquake, find their lost joie-de-vivre and plan to savor every moment of their remaining time together.
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Following the familiar formula of the restaurant/bar-owner-listening-to-his/her-punter’s-stories that we have seen in many Japanese works (“Midnight Diner” to mention one), “Bread of Happiness” feels like a live action Josei Manga, not only because of the mature narrative exploring romantic and personal relationships, but especially because of its bright and polished look. Its episodic narrative is a rather effective way to develop the characters of the punters and make us love them; they take turns in confiding their issues and challenges, and we get to know them and empathize with them.
The same applies to the bizarre and likable secondary characters that populate the rather sparse area where the café is located: the goofy postman (Chikara Honda) enamored of Rie, Yoko (Kimiko Yo), the hippie glassmaker who can listen and anticipate other people’s wishes, a concertina player, and a bubbly family of farmers. Companionship is indeed the thread that links all the characters, and a sweet companionship is what keeps the protagonist couple together.
However, the supporting roles and the customers of the café are the real lively heart of the film while Rie and Mizushima seem to fade into the lovely blond wood of the background. As a matter of fact, the couple who should be the connective tissue and the glue of all these narrative lines, fails to stand out as—sadly— Rie and Mizushima are the most undeveloped characters of all. We know nothing about Mizushima and only a little bit from the short prologue about Rie. Moreover, their relationship leaves us guessing the whole time; she says in the opening that she followed Mizushima to Tsukiura, but there is no mention of their affective status. He could be her best friend or even her brother; there are no signs of a romantic liaison, and only later in the film does a character mention they are married. When at the very end she sighs, “I think I have found my Mani now,” you wonder what Mizushima was for her before!
One of the best assets of “Bread of Happiness” is the location in Hokkaido, displaying the lush nature in summer and the harsh, snowy winters. The transience of seasons, a subject matter so treasured in Japanese narrative, is beautifully represented by cinematography that is minimalist in its observational mood but also a tribute of colors and light. Being a film shot in 2012, the food and bread-making are still very much informed by the European tradition, like in “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” while now, the modern baking culture in Japan is more “San Francisco Sourdough” than “Pain de Campagne.” But despite looking slightly dated, the joy of lovingly prepared seasonal local food comes across seamlessly.
“Bread of Happiness” may not break any ground, but it certainly is a very pleasant and entertaining watch and can make you reflect on an alternative to the busy and draining city life. Furthermore, true to its original intent, it makes you want to visit such a beautiful and awe-inspiring place.
