The Lump in My Heart

Akiko (Tokiwa Takako) is a middle-aged woman who lives in an unassuming old home with her university student daughter Chinatsu (Yoshida Mizuki). They are happy, despite their modest surroundings, and are always happy to share a joke and make one another laugh. Chinatsu dreams of becoming a successful novelist, and hopes that her university education will help her achieve this. But Chinatsu’s plans hit an obstacle when she is given an assignment she does not enjoy – writing about her first love. Her first relationship, with Mitsuteru Kawayanagi (Okudaira Daikane), ended in sourness, and she would prefer never to think about it again for the rest of her days. But when she meets Mitsuteru Kawayanagi again, she is once again inspired to resume writing. However, both women are in for a shock when Akiko finds a doctor’s note that suggests Chinatsu may have breast cancer. The note requires Chinatsu to return to the hospital for a re-examination. Tensions rise as the fateful day approaches. Does joy – or tragedy – lay in wait for these two women? “The Lump in My Heart” is a 2023 Japanese movie that was directed by Shingo Matsumura.