The Road to the Spring (1955)

Kyoko is a new writer for the women's magazine "Josei no tomo" female reporter. One day, the magazine receives a letter from a reader, Ume, who, in order to support their ill father at home, was compelled to trade her body to her employer at a factory. Harboring her own grudge against her father for abandoning her and her mother, Kyoko determines to not only write about the factory girl for the magazine but also save Ume in the process. However, Kyoko's investigation forces her to confront a harsh reality while also grappling with the sudden news of her estranged father's own illness and desire to reunite.