Introduction Chapter 1: Maborosi : Life Amidst Death Chapter 2: In Memory: After Life and the Quest for Meaning Chapter 3: Far From Home: Alienation and the Cult in Distance Chapter 4: Why Nobody Knows : Family and Society in Modern Japan Chapter 5: "More than the Flowers": Revenge and Mercy in Hana yori mo naho Chapter 6: After Ozu: Still Walking and the Modern Domestic Drama Chapter 7: Breathless: Air Doll , Cinephilia and the City of Sadness Chapter 8: Miracles Can Happen: Childhood Hopes and Dreams in I Wish Chapter 9: Becoming a Father: Nature Versus Nurture in Like Father, Like Son Chapter 10: "Every Living Requires Effort": The Family of Women in Our Little Sister Chapter 11: The Empty Table: Coping with Failure in After the Storm Chapter 12: "Three Strikes and You're Out": The Ambiguities of Justice in Koreeda's The Third Murder Chapter 13: The Ties that Bind: Shoplifters and the Voluntary Family Chapter 14: Travelling Abroad: Koreeda's International Career A) True or False: Performance and Lies in La Vérité B) Babies for Sale: Broker , Wanted Men and Unwanted Children Chapter 15: Putting the Pieces Together: Who Is the Monster ? Bibliography Notes.