Albeit released later, this film wrapped earlier than Koreeda's previous film Our Little Sister (2015). The month-and-a-half filming of After the Storm took place starting in May 2014 in between the production of Our Little Sister, which was shot throughout a year.
This is Hirokazu Koreeda's second film whose title is taken from a pop song lyric. The original Japanese title "Umi yori mo mada fukaku" ("Even deeper than the sea") is a line from Teresa Teng's Kayokyoku (Japanese oldie pop) song "Wakare no yokan," which is heard diegetically in the film. The title of Still Walking (2008), Koreeda's earlier film which also starred Hiroshi Abe and Kirin Kiki, is also taken from a lyric in the Kayokyoku song "Blue Light Yokohama".
The item that Ryota pawns towards the end is called a suzuri in Japanese. It is an ink holder used when doing calligraphy. Some ink holders can be expensive.
On their day out, Ryota takes Shingo to a fast food restaurant. It is a branch of a chain called "MOS Burger."
The director of the movie, Hirokazu Koreeda, moved from Nerima ward to Kiyose city's Asahigakoa neighbourhood. This is the same as the Shinoda family in this movie.