Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.
You can now watch When a Woman Ascends the Stairs online on the following streaming providers in the United States.
| Directing | Mikio Naruse | Director |
| Camera | Masao Tamai | Director of Photography |
| Production | Ryūzō Kikushima | Producer |
| Sound | Toshirō Mayuzumi | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Eiji Ooi | Editor |
| Art | Satoru Chûko | Production Design |
| Costume & Make-Up | Hideko Takamine | Costume Design |
| Directing | Sakae Hirosawa | Assistant Director |
| Sound | Masao Fujiyoshi | Sound |
| Sound | Hisashi Shimonaga | Sound |
| Writing | Ryūzō Kikushima | Screenplay |
