Tokyo Chorus (1931)

A married Tokyo man faces unemployment after standing up for an older colleague.

Director:

Yasujirô Ozu

Writers:

Komatsu Kitamura (original story), Kôgo Noda (original story)

Stars:

Tokihiko Okada, Emiko Yagumo, Hideo Sugawara

Cast

Cast overview:
Tokihiko Okada	...	Shinji Okajima
Emiko Yagumo	...	Tsuma Sugako (His wife)
Hideo Sugawara	...	Sono Chounan (First Son)
Hideko Takamine	...	Sono Choujo (First Daughter)
Tatsuo Saitô	...	Omura Sensei (Teacher)
Chôko Iida	...	Sensei no tusma (Mrs. Omura)
Takeshi Sakamoto	...	Rou-Shain Yamada (Old employee)
Reikô Tani	...	Shachou (Company President)
Ken'ichi Miyajima	...	Hisho (Secretary)
Isamu Yamaguchi	...	Kaisha no Douryou (An Employee)

Storyline

Mr. Omura, a teacher, leads a group of male students in an outdoor drill. One slight, comic young man, Shinji Okajima, has no shirt under his jacket; he scratches at fleas and makes faces behind Omura's back. Jump ahead several years, Shinji is married with three children. He sells insurance, and on the company's annual bonus day, he protests when an older worker is fired. Shinji loses his own job as a result, and he and his wife must find ways to cope. Lassitude, pride, the demands and needs of young children, and relationships from bygone school days all play a part in the outcome of their struggle.

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Plot Keywords:

toilet humor | unemployment | protest | job | insurance | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

In the top 10 of Kinema Junpo's Top Japanese Movies of 1931.

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Quotes

Omura Sensei (Teacher): It's been many years since we parted. I'm glad to see you all in good health. May you all continue to prosper through hard work and self-reliance.

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Connections

Referenced in I Lived, But... (1983)

User Reviews

Wonderful film of 1930s Tokyo

I don't have much to add to the other fine reviews, just two things:

(I) I rarely like silent films, but this one kept me entertained (and moved) throughout. I guess Ozu is just that good.

(2) There's a fascinating reference by the lead character, a salaryman for an insurance company where business has been slow in Depression-era Tokyo, to "Hoover's policies" not helping Japan as yet. I'm not sure if it was ironic or not -- I'd be surprised if it was meant to be an argument for a more Keynesian policy, but I'm not certain. In a way, I suppose the mention shouldn't come as a shock -- the world economy was sufficiently integrated in the 1930s for US economic policy to have a significant impact on Japan. Still, it was a reminder of, well justified or not, the importance of the US in the outlook of the typical Japanese.

Details

Country:

Japan

Release Date:

December 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tokyo Chorus

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku Kinema

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1