Tokyo Chorus 1931 Mr Omura, a teacher, leads a group of male students in an outdoor drill One slight, comic young man, Shinji Okajima, has no shirt under his jacket he scratches at fleas and makes faces behind Omuras back Jump ahead several years, Shinji is married with three children He sells insurance, and on the companys annual bonus day, he protests when an older worker is fired Shinji loses his own job as a result, and he and his wife must find ways to cope Lassitude, pride, the demands and needs of young children, and relationships from bygone school days all play a part in the outcome of their struggle