Madadayo was the last film Akira Kurosawa made. It marked the end of his brilliant career. It takes place during and after World War II. The main focus is not only the war and post-war problems, it also explores life beyond the war and how it continued year after year during reconstruction. The film is rich in cultural and time-specific material. The audience can experience a beloved professor, Hyakken Uchida, and his slow progression into retirement. An obvious parallel can be drawn between Kurosawa and the professor. The characters in the film seem to be mostly unaffected by the war and reconstruction and focus mostly on their beloved professor. Kurosawa seems to be showing how life had to go on even during the war. Kurosawa himself was censored during wartime and felt burdened by the restrictions. He admitted that "I offered no resistance to Japan's militarism, unfortunately. I have to admit I did not have the courage to resist in any positive way, and I only got by, ingratiating myself when necessary and other wise evading censure. I am ashamed of this, but I must be honest about it." The home in which the professor is living in is the old shack of a baron's gardener. We can see how despite its size and apparent shabby appearance, Uchida and his wife are able to make a happy home with it. An American audience may have trouble understanding how two people could live in such a small place. Houses, especially in urban areas of Japan, are much more compact than houses in the United States. We see that a house with two tatami mats of usable space suffice for the traditional life style of the professor and his wife. We see Uchida bestowing more wisdom on his already mature students. In Japan, teachers are called Sensei, or teacher, well after their students are no longer taking class from them. We can see in this clip and throughout the film the reverence that is held for teachers. Professors are much more respected in Japan in terms of formalities. While arguing that the populace actually holds more respect for educators is untenable, the formalities given in earnest to this professor would be extended to virtually all educators, genuinely respected or not. Differences in Japanese and American politeness have been well documented, and Madadayo provides an example of reverence for elders and educators in Japan.