is a 1956 Japanese drama film directed by Yà «zà  Kawashima. It was adapted by Kawashima and Shà Âhei Imamura from a novel by Jirà  Osaragi.
In post-war Japan, a middle aged family man connects with a woman from his past. He has two children, an arrogant son who is torn between his mistress and a new lover, and a disabled daughter who gets mixed up in the affair.
In 2018, celebrating director Kawashima's 100th birthday, the Nikkatsu studio and VOD platform MUBI collaborated on a retrospective of his work to be available to stream in the US. The Balloon was among the films that were screened.