“Departures” and Life’s Hidden Lessons: Reflections on Work, Death, and Family

Departures おくりびと

Departures by Yōjirō Takita, originally titled Okuribito (“one who sends off”), follows a cellist who loses his job and returns to his hometown with his wife. He unexpectedly finds work “assisting departures,” which he assumes is in travel. Instead, he prepares bodies for cremation ceremonies. This thought-provoking film examines themes of prejudice, our relationship with death, and family dynamics, offering a mirror to society’s attitudes toward work, mortality, and healing.

Prejudice and Society’s Perception of Work

The film reveals societal prejudices against certain jobs, especially those involving death, which remain taboo across cultures. Our society tends to glorify high-paying roles like CEOs and business leaders, while undervaluing essential but lower-paying jobs, particularly in fields like education and healthcare. This skewed perspective, driven by a fixation on money, needs rethinking. If basic needs like food, water, and shelter were accessible outside the market’s grasp, society might re-center on valuing work for its true contribution rather than its income potential.

Facing Death and Examining Belief Systems

Our relationship with death is often complicated by ingrained cultural and religious beliefs, making it a difficult topic to discuss openly. Generations of values and customs make it hard to approach death in a more open-minded way. Yet, the idea of Memento Mori—remembering our mortality—can serve as a powerful reminder of what truly matters, prompting us to make conscious choices about how we spend our time. Often, it takes a close encounter with death to awaken us to life’s priorities, though this awareness can quickly fade as we return to daily routines.

Family, Forgiveness, and Letting Go of the Past

In Departures, the protagonist harbors resentment toward his father, who abandoned the family years before. In Japan, work is often viewed as an extension of family, with the company culture frequently taking precedence over personal relationships. Our identity and self-worth are closely tied to work, status, and income. But if this focus on work comes at the cost of our closest relationships, is it worth it? Forgiveness isn’t always necessary, but letting go is essential so that past events become lessons rather than weights on our present. Resentment gives power to those who wronged us, allowing them to impact our lives long after the harm was done.

Departures subtly confronts us with these profound questions, encouraging reflection on the roles that work, mortality, and family play in our lives. Through its exploration of taboo professions, the inevitability of death, and unresolved family dynamics, the film reminds us to consider what we truly value and how we might live more consciously.

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