A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Takashi Shimura | ... |
Kanji Watanabe
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| Shin'ichi Himori | ... |
Kimura
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| Haruo Tanaka | ... |
Sakai
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| Minoru Chiaki | ... |
Noguchi
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| Miki Odagiri | ... |
Toyo Odagiri, employee
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| Bokuzen Hidari | ... |
Ohara
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Minosuke Yamada | ... |
Subordinate Clerk Saito
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| Kamatari Fujiwara | ... |
Sub-Section Chief Ono
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Makoto Kobori | ... |
Kiichi Watanabe, Kanji's Brother
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| Nobuo Kaneko | ... |
Mitsuo Watanabe, Kanji's son
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| Nobuo Nakamura | ... |
Deputy Mayor
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Atsushi Watanabe | ... |
Patient
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Isao Kimura | ... |
Intern
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| Masao Shimizu | ... |
Doctor
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| Yûnosuke Itô | ... |
Novelist
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| Kumeko Urabe | ... |
Tatsu Watanabe, Kiichi's Wife
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| Eiko Miyoshi | ... |
Housewife
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| Noriko Honma | ... |
Housewife
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| Yatsuko Tan'ami | ... |
Bar Hostess
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| Kin Sugai | ... |
Housewife
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| Yoshie Minami | ... |
The Maid
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Kyôko Seki | ... |
Kazue Watanabe, Mitsuo's wife
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Kusuo Abe | ... |
City Assemblyman
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Tomo'o Nagai | ... |
Newspaperman
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| Seiji Miyaguchi | ... |
Yakuza Boss
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| Daisuke Katô | ... |
Yakuza
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Hiroshi Hayashi | ... |
Second Yakuza
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Fuyuki Murakami | ... |
Newspaperman
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Hirayoshi Aono | ... |
Newspaperman
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| Toranosuke Ogawa | ... |
Park Section Chief
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Taizô Fukami | ... |
Man at Baseball Field
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Katao Kawasaki | ... |
Worker in Civil Engineering
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Keiichirô Katsumoto | ... |
Worker in Park Section
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Fujio Nagahama | ... |
Worker in Sewage Section
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Akira Sera | ... |
Worker in General Affairs
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Ichirô Chiba | ... |
Policeman
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Akira Tani | ... |
Bar Owner
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Yôyô Kojima | ... |
Worker in Sewage Section
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Haruko Toyama | ... |
Woman at Cabaret
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Mie Asô | ... |
Woman at Cabaret
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Toshiyuki Ichimura | ... |
Pianist
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Harue Kuramoto | ... |
Dancer
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| Rasa Saya | ... |
Stripper
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Hiroshi Akitsu | ... |
Insect Epidemic Village Office Staff Member (uncredited)
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Shigeo Katô | ... |
Government bureaucrat (uncredited)
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Junpei Natsuki | ... |
Hand-Washing Cancer Patient (uncredited)
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Sachio Sakai | ... |
Yakuza (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Akira Kurosawa | ||
Written by
| Akira Kurosawa | ... | (written by) & |
| Shinobu Hashimoto | ... | (written by) & |
| Hideo Oguni | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Sôjirô Motoki | ... | producer |
Music by
| Fumio Hayasaka | ||
Cinematography by
| Asakazu Nakai | ||
Editing by
| Kôichi Iwashita | ||
Production Design by
| Takashi Matsuyama | ||
Makeup Department
| Sadako Okada | ... | hair stylist |
Production Management
| Teruo Maki | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Teruo Maru | ... | assistant director |
| Hisanobu Marubayashi | ... | chief assistant director |
Art Department
| Yoshirô Muraki | ... | assistant art director |
Sound Department
| Ichirô Minawa | ... | sound effects editor |
| Fumio Yanoguchi | ... | sound recordist |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Shigeru Mori | ... | lighting technician |
| Takao Saitô | ... | assistant camera |
| Masao Soeda | ... | still photographer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Teruyo Nogami | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Akira Araki | ... | accountant |
| Hiromichi Horikawa | ... | advisor to the director |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Toho (1952) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Brandon Films (1956) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Curzon Film Distributors (1958) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1966) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1975) (United States) (tv) (network premiere)
- Heron International Company (1985) (World-wide) (VHS)
- Media Home Entertainment (1985) (United States) (VHS)
- Cowboy Pictures (2002) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia)
- Madman Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand)
- The Criterion Collection (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Image Entertainment (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2007) (Japan) (tv)
- AmaFilms (2019) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Carlotta Films (2024) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (4K restoration)
- The Consulate General of Japan (1969) (India) (theatrical) (Bombay) (Hindi subtitles)
- trigon-film (2012) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
- BFI Video (2003) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Buksfilm (2024) (Poland) (video) (VOD)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Leopardo Filmes (2020) (Portugal)
- Levné Knihy (2006) (Czechia) (DVD)
- Madman Entertainment (2024) (Australia)
- Madman Films (2024) (New Zealand)
- New KSM (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
- Sandrews (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Sinister Film (2023) (World-wide)
- The Criterion Collection (2015) (Japan) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Télé Monte Carlo (1986) (Monaco) (tv)
- WOWOW (2012) (Japan) (tv)
- trigon-film (2012) (Austria)
- trigon-film (2012) (Germany)
- trigon-film (2013) (Switzerland) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Orchestra (music performer)
- Toho Studios (sound stages)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Kanji Watanabe is a civil servant. He has worked in the same department for 30 years. His life is boring and monotonous, though he once used to have passion and drive. Then one day he discovers that he has stomach cancer and less than a year to live. After the initial depression he sets about living for the first time in over 20 years. Then he realises that his limited time left is not just for living life to the fullest, but to leave something meaningful behind. Written by grantss |
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| Taglines | One of the Great Films of Our Time! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $79,298 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | When Takashi Shimura rehearsed his singing of "Song of the Gondola," director Akira Kurosawa instructed him to "sing the song as if you are a stranger in a world where nobody believes you exist." See more » |
| Goofs | When Kanji and the Novelist go to a busy, loud nightclub, the film has been reversed as evidenced by the backwards "Nippon Beer" banner in the background. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The Siskel & Ebert 500th Anniversary Special (1989). See more » |
| Soundtracks | J'ai Deux Amours See more » |
| Quotes |
Kanji:
I can't afford to hate people. I don't have that kind of time. See more » |