"late spring" is the first of several extant ozu films with a "seasonal" title. (later films with seasonal titles are "early summer", "early spring" ("soshun", 1956), "late autumn" and "the end of summer" (literally, "autumn for the kohayagawa family")). the "late spring" of the title refers on the most obvious level to noriko who, at 27, is in the "late spring" of her life, and approaching the age at which she would no longer be considered marriageable.