On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, a laborer, Yuzo (Isao Numasaki), and his fiancée, Masako (Chieko Nakakita), have only 35 yen at their disposal — hardly anything at all for a day in Tokyo. Determined to enjoy themselves on their day off despite their financial limitations, the two set out looking for adventure. From visiting model homes to playing baseball in the park, the couple continues to keep the activities rolling, thanks to Masako’s can-do attitude pushing Yuzo to keep up with her.

This affectionate paean to young love is also a frank examination by Akira Kurosawa of the harsh realities of postwar Japan. During a Sunday trip into war-ravaged Tokyo, Yuzo and Masako look for work and lodging, as well as affordable entertainments to pass the time. Reminiscent of Frank Capra’s social-realist comedies and echoing contemporaneous Italian neorealism, One Wonderful Sunday touchingly offers a sliver of hope in dark times.