20 year-old University student Noriko (Haru Kuroki) discovers a new passion in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the hobby becoming a mainstay in her life as the years pass. After her parents recommend her going to meet Mrs. Takeda (Kirin Kiki), Noriko and her outgoing cousin Michiko (Mikako Tabe), begin their training in the meticulous rituals of the tea ceremony. While Michiko eventually moves away to pursue her career, Noriko remains committed to the weekly lessons, growing in confidence as the years pass. The tea ceremony remains a comfort to her even in her darkest hours.
Based on an essay by Noriko Morishita, “Every Day a Good Day” is a contemplative film, focussing on the traditional art of the tea ceremony. Throughout the film we are given lengthy sequences of parts of the ceremonies, the various nuanced movements, the differentiation by season, and the underlying Zen philosophies that add meaning to the seemingly commonplace practice of brewing and serving tea. There is little in the way of plot, rather we are invited to spend time with Noriko and Mrs. Takeda, Haru Kuroki and Kirin Kiki giving excellent performances as mentor and apprentice, as they perform this calming ritual. We see small glimpses of Noriko’s life outside, her parents, her cousin, references to a failed courtship, and her grief after a bereavement. Throughout everythign the tea ceremony offers a consistent solace in a transient world.
“Every Day a Good Day” is subtle yet effective in its message. Life is fragile and full of constant change. It can be a chaotic thing to endure, yet having something such as the tea ceremony can help a person to remain grounded. Life cannot be rushed, everything that is going to happen will happen, good or bad, and we must simply live through it, stoically accepting our successes and failures as part of an endless journey. This connection with time is brought out most powerfully in the use of a dog cup representing the Chinese Year of the Dog, which character remark will only be used several times throughout their lives. This heightens their awareness of the importance of appreciating each passing moment as a unique experience, acknowledging the smallest thing as much as the greatest, and finding joy in simplicity.
