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This comedy of modern Japanese life follows the adventures of a carefree wandering tramp with most of his belongings on his back and his savings plastered to his waist under his rags. He is managing very comfortably until a pretty colleague runs off with his money and two abandoned orphans attach themselves to him. The unwilling guardian takes his responsibilities seriously as the three make their way across the country to Tokyo, where the absconding girl and the children's runaway relative have gone. The journey an entertaining scramble for food, lodging and an occasional hitchhike, includes episodes as varied as a prayer at a Buddhist shrine and a pause at a striptease show.
A thread of satirical comment on tough money conscious society with recurrent references to the prospects of a world with the atom bomb runs through the film. However the accent is on comedy and routine scenes such as the beggin, are given a humorous touch. The actors perform admirably with the estibhshed comedienne, Keiju Kobayashi, in the lead. The music is notable for its unusual quality, and the settings of modern Japan are effective.