[3][4] Miho, mistress of married professor Keijiro, has been managing the Ginza bar owned by him and his wife Ayako for years, hoping that some day she might be made the owner as appreciation for her efforts.
When her hope to win the case fades, she changes track, deciding to instead fight for custody of Keijiro's children, Hiroko and Susumu.
Raised by Keijiro and the infertile Ayako as their own, Hiroko and Susumu are Miho's natural children.
Miho, compensated with a small sum, plans to open a street food shop, while Ayako contemplates a divorce.
[3] For Naruse biographer Catherine Russell, As a Wife, As a Woman was "intended to have educational value" and "poses some serious questions about women's work and social responsibility, and the gender inequities of a family system that more or less condones extramarital affairs for men.