Sections 1 through 4 Summary and Analysis

Babyhood

Akira Kurosawa recalls flashes of memories from his baby years. He remembers rocking in a wooden wash tub until it tilted over and scared him and left him wailing for his mother. In another recollection, he sees a white dog being sliced in half by a train. He remembers the insides of the animal looking just like sushi which he could not eat for years. His parents sent a parade of white dogs in front of him about which he loudly protested. The white dog that was killed must have been the family's pet. He wonders why the family did not opt for a black dog to be the family's new pet since there was such a tragic accident with the white dog.

Akira remembers going to the movies often with his family. Although his father did not...