98-year-old Homer Yasui takes four generations of his family to his secret mushroom-hunting grounds in Oregon in search of the prized and delicious matsutake mushroom, passing on a longtime Japanese American tradition.
Filmed in October 2021, MATSUTAKE captures Homer, a survivor of the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans and the last of nine siblings, on what turns out to be his final hunt. As Homer’s family members unearth a couple of treasured matsutake—but mostly enjoy a tasty Japanese bento picnic and a spirited harmonica serenade in the woods—we learn that the real prizes are the family bond forged over the hunt and Homer’s enduring memories.