If this sounds creepy, it isn’t. The handling of the dead as family members watch the process involves loving care. Although at first repelled, Daigo learns the art from the master employing him (Tsutomu Yamazaki). He begins to take satisfaction from the way in which his ministrations provide solace. In one bit of humor, as he runs his hand beneath a cover over the body of a woman beneath he finds a surprise that leads to a discovery of a family problem. In some situations family infighting surfaces under the pressure of bereavement.

There is a hitch for Daigo. His new-found profession is looked upon with contempt. Daigo has kept it secret from his wife (Ryoko Hirosue), and when she finds out she gives him an ultimatum—quit or she will leave. Daigo is now so involved with his job that he refuses to quit, and she does leave, at least temporarily.

There is a back story in Daigo’s life. His father left his mother when he was a boy and, barely remembering his dad, he nurses a grudge against him for having walked out on him and his mother, who has since died. Complications arise when Daigo suddenly gets word regarding his estranged father. The film builds sentimentally and predictably, but always in the framework of the delicacy with which the protagonist works. “Departures” is really about finding what gives one satisfaction in employment and learning about oneself through the process.