The Makioka Sisters (1983)

The orphaned Makioka sisters look for a husband for their third sister, Yukiko, as the rebellious youngest sister, Taeko, is kept waiting her turn.

Director:

Kon Ichikawa

Writers:

Shin'ya Hidaka, Kon Ichikawa

Stars:

Yoshiko Sakuma, Sayuri Yoshinaga, Yûko Kotegawa

5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yoshiko Sakuma	...	Sachiko Makioka
Sayuri Yoshinaga	...	Yukiko Makioka
Yûko Kotegawa	...	Taeko Makioka
Jûzô Itami	...	Tatsuo Makioka, Tsuruko's husband
Takenori Emoto	...	Higashidani
Ittoku Kishibe	...	Itakura
Yonedanji Katsura	...	Okuhata (as Kobeichô Katsura)
Michino Yokoyama	...	Itani (as Michiyo Yokoyama)
Miki Sanjô	...	Ohisa
Taiko Shinbashi	...	Mrs. Jinba
Kayoko Shiraishi	...	Restaurant owner
Kuniko Miyake	...	Aunt Tominaga
Yukari Uehara	...	Oharu
Akemi Negishi	...	Mrs. Shimozuma
Toshiyuki Hosokawa	...	Hashidera

Storyline

This sensuously beautiful film chronicles the activities of four sisters who gather in Kyoto every year to view the cherry blossoms. It paints a vivid portrait of the pre-war lifestyle of the wealthy Makioka family from Osaka, and draws a parallel between their activities and the seasonal variations in Japan.

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Plot Keywords:

nubile | nubile girl | nubile woman | kimono | husband and wife | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

30 December 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Makioka Sisters

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Eizo Co.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (flashbacks) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story spans the period from autumn, 1936, to April, 1941, ending about seven months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The novel references a number of contemporary events, such as the Kobe flood of 1938, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the growing tensions in Europe.

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Goofs

Taeko is clearly wearing a strapless bra when she's in the bathtub.

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Connections

Referenced in Every Day a Good Day (2018)

User Reviews

A Wonderful Film for Japanophiles

I give this film 10 out of 10 as even after seeing it more than 10 times it still moves me deeply. I was 15 years old when I first saw this movie in the theater in Seattle. I went back to see it again a couple of weeks later. The first 13 minutes during the credits is my favorite scene, filmed in Kyoto in Springtime. Read the book for more background. The Kimono worn by the female actresses are amazing. The late Juzo Itami plays the father. All the dialog is spoken in "Osaka-ben" or Osaka dialect, which has a softer sound than Tokyo dialect. You can also hear some Kyoto-ben too ("gomen-yasu" said by a servant upon entering in the first scene before entering the room). This film brings me to tears it is so beautiful. At the end of the first scene, when the camera pans out to the cherry blossoms outside and the music starts...it is cinematic heaven! I am waiting for this film to come out on DVD.