The Noriko Trilogy

The “Noriko Trilogy” is a loose thematic cycle of films by Yasujiro Ozu, consisting of Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951), and Tokyo Story (1953). While not connected by a continuous narrative, each film features a character named Noriko, portrayed by Setsuko Hara, in entirely different familial and social contexts. Rather than functioning as a traditional trilogy, these films form a spiritual and thematic continuum, exploring postwar Japanese domestic life, generational tension, and the quiet sacrifices embedded within family structures. Across the three works, Noriko emerges less as a single character and more as a shifting emotional archetype, embodying duty, independence, and the evolving role of women in a rapidly modernizing society.