Japan's Longest Day (1967)
"Nihon no ichiban nagai hi" (original title)

Following the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese military and the government clash over the demand from the Allies for unconditional surrender. Minister ... See full summary »

Director:

Kihachi Okamoto

Writers:

Shinobu Hashimoto (screenplay), Soichi Oya (book)

Stars:

Seiji Miyaguchi, Rokko Toura, Chishû Ryû

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seiji Miyaguchi	...	Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo
Rokko Toura	...	Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Shunichi Matsumoto (as Matsuhiro Toura)
Chishû Ryû	...	Prime Minister Baron Kantaro Suzuki
Sô Yamamura	...	Navy Minister Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai
Toshirô Mifune	...	War Minister General Korechika Anami
Yoshio Kosugi	...	Minister of Public Welfare Keisuke Okada
Takashi Shimura	...	Information Bureau Director Hiroshi Shimomura
Etsushi Takahashi	...	Lt. Colonel Masutaka Ida - Military Affairs Section
Takao Inoue	...	Lt. Colonel Masahiko Takeshita - Military Affairs Section
Tadao Nakamaru	...	Lt. Colonel Jiro Shiizaki - Military Affairs Section
Toshio Kurosawa	...	Major Kenji Hatanaka - Military Affairs Section
Hikaru Kitchôji	...	General Yoshijiro Umezu - Chief of the Army General Staff
Haruo Yamada	...	Admiral Soemu Toyoda - Chief of the Naval General Staff
Ryôsuke Kagawa	...	Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Tadaatsu Ishiguro
Ushio Akashi	...	President of the Privy Council Baron Kiichiro Hiranuma

Storyline

Following the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese military and the government clash over the demand from the Allies for unconditional surrender. Minister of the Army Anami leads the military officers who propose to fight on, even to the death of every Japanese citizen. Emperor Hirohito, however, joins with his ministers in asking the unthinkable, the peaceful surrender of Japan. When the military plots a coup to overthrow the Emperor's civilian government, Anami must face the choice between his desires and loyalty to his Emperor.

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Plot Keywords:

emperor | japanese | atomic bomb | japan | officer | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

26 March 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Japan's Longest Day

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hakuô Matsumoto plays the Emperor Hirohito in this film, the first time Hirohito (or any living Japanese emperor) was played by a Japanese actor in a Japanese film. Matsumoto subsequently portrayed Hirohito's grandfather, the Meiji Emperor, in Nihonkai daikaisen.

User Reviews

With this film, you get to see the other side of events that took place..that changed history

Whether you already know about the events of the day of the Japanese surrender on August 15th 1945 or you are a newcomer to the topic, this film has something for both.

Most film goers get to see the good guy side of films and rarely get to see a film made by the losers of war and the way they thought and felt. I've seen a few of these films from Japan and Germany and it's eye opening to see their mindsets during this period.

Right off your gonna get a pretty clear picture that the Military ran the show. The Prime Minister of Japan was the guy who made the decisions along with the cabinet but Japan back in this time...was almost..if not...a military state. Behind the scenes you will see military men who know no other way of life, but it was all about to change...and they didn't react to well. I mean, who would enjoy surrendering? I know I wouldn't but what you get is an unruly few who think they have the will of the people and the emperor in mind when they decide to try and overthrow the Surrender Proceedings and takeover the Imperial Palace. Imagine being the most powerful force in the world for centuries and within a short span of 3 to 4 years...it's all over.

It's just a fascinating watch all the way through to finally get to see what was in the minds of the Japanese Soldiers and Politicians during the last day before their surrender. Most accepted with regret..but with grace also. Others didn't take to it too well.

If your looking for a war film with some action then you better look somewhere else cause this isn't that kind of film. This is war drama all the way. Watch this film and you'll get an idea of what it was like...back when "Japan's Longest Day" occurred.