Middle-aged Hirayama (Yakusho) seems to have discovered the key to contentment. A cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo, Hirayama brings unusual dedication to his work, deriving fulfillment from a job well done. Hirayama takes comfort in his solitary, analog life, adhering to daily routines and enjoying the trees he visits along his route, as well as his prized collection of paperbacks and rock cassettes. When teenage niece Niko (Nakano) pays a visit, we glimpse past pain and conflict in Hirayama’s past, including estrangement from his demanding father and affluent sister. Still, it’s clear he’s found a way to cope, and better still, a way to live.

Veteran director Wenders was approached about doing a film profiling Tokyo’s pristine public toilets (which indeed put ours to shame). “Perfect Days” does that but goes deeper, examining one man’s prescription for living a simple life, well. The film rests squarely on Yakusho’s shoulders, and his shaded, deeply-felt performance makes “Days” soar. His Hirayama speaks little, so we get to know this man mostly through his facial expressions, as he goes through his daily routine with remarkable calm, cheerfulness and at times, even wonder. To its credit, this miraculous, Oscar-nominated film never needs to shout to get its message across.