Japanese comedy drama starring Masahiro Motoki as Daigo Kobayashi, a professional cellist who loses his job when his orchestra disbands. He & his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue) move back into his childhood home & he begins to look for work. When he answers a classified advert entitled ' Departures', he assumes it is for a travel agency; it is in fact an undertakers. To the bemusement of his wife & friends, Daigo throws himself into his unusual new work with pride & vigour, & learns a lot about life, death & love in the process.