Diary of Early Winter Shower (1998): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1998, Diary of Early Winter Shower is a romance film directed by Shinichiro Sawai, running about 116 minutes.

What it’s about. Takanosuke Ushio and Tae Horikawa are unable to forget each other, even though they met and fell in love 20 years ago. They had promised each other that they would build a retreat in Shiguretei, but Ushio was hospitalized after a stroke a few days later, and when his wife, Takako, rushed to the hospital, she discovered their love affair, which in reality had not gone beyond kissing. Now, 20 years later, against the advice of her ikebana mentor, Tae rushes to meet Ushio at Shiguretei, only to see him clutching his chest in pain. Eventually, the design and plans for the dream retreat are seen by Tae, but she has to visit Kyoto alone... or maybe she's heading for somewhere else.

Who’s in it. Diary of Early Winter Shower stars Sayuri Yoshinaga as 堀川多江, Tetsuya Watari as 壬生孝之助, Ryūzō Hayashi as Shoda and Tomomi Satō as Keiko Mibu, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 9.0/10, Diary of Early Winter Shower sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Diary of Early Winter Shower page.

If you liked it. Fans of Diary of Early Winter Shower tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Your Name., Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Cinema Paradiso.