In many ways, this is a remake of Yasujirô Ozu's Printemps tardif (1949). In both films, the director's favorite actor, Chishû Ryû, plays a widower trying to persuade his adult daughter to get married.
The original title ("The Taste of Mackerel Pike") refers to a fish that is widely eaten in Japan, especially in autumn when it is abundant. Its taste is bitter (if eaten whole as Japanese frequently do for this species), and autumn evokes a world that is changing.
The placement of the alcoholic drinks may be taken as an early example of product placement. Every bottle has at least half of its label facing the camera, making it possible recognise the brands e.g the star on the beer bottle labels, the Johnny Walker bottle, the bottles on the shelves in the bar. There are also two large Suntory signs on the bar wall. The name of the bar - Tory's Bar - could be a reference to "Tory's Whisky", released after the Second World War. However, the different drinks are made/ imported by two rival companies - Suntory (e.g. whisky) and Sapporo (e.g. the beer). The placement is unlikely to be due to any commercial sponsorship and is more likely to be an indication of Ozu's vision of the characters and their drinking habits.
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #446.
Yasujirô Ozu: [static camera] There is not a single camera movement in the entire film, as in many of Ozu's films.