ozu favored a stationary camera and believed strongly in minimalism. david dresser has compared the film's style and "de-emphasized plot“ to zen buddhism and the modern world's fascination with surface value and materialism. many of the transitional shots are still lifes of non-human subjects, such as smokestacks and landscapes. in his narrative storytelling, ozu often had certain key scenes take place off camera with the viewer only learning about them through the characters' dialogue. the audience never sees shūkichi and tomi visit their son keizō, and tomi's illness begins off-screen.