Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa."

The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

Despite coming from completely different backgrounds, the three of them share one thing in common: none of them can get along with their fathers. They meet for the first time on their way to study abroad in LA, each having left home for his own reasons. Soon after they arrive, they discover they've been scammed, leaving them broke and stranded in a foreign city. Will they swallow their pride and go home to their fathers, or find a way to make it on their own?