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IMDbPro

Kyûpora no aru machi

  • 19621962
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
171
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
183,078
34,200
Kyûpora no aru machi (1962)
Drama
Set in Kawaguchi, just north of Tokyo in the early 60s, the movie chronicles the lives of poor foundry workers and their families; and one girl's dreams of self-improvement through going on ... Read allSet in Kawaguchi, just north of Tokyo in the early 60s, the movie chronicles the lives of poor foundry workers and their families; and one girl's dreams of self-improvement through going on to higher education.Set in Kawaguchi, just north of Tokyo in the early 60s, the movie chronicles the lives of poor foundry workers and their families; and one girl's dreams of self-improvement through going on to higher education.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
171
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
183,078
34,200
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Kirio Urayama
    • Writers
      • Chiyo Hayafune(novel)
      • Shôhei Imamura(screenplay)
      • Kirio Urayama(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Sayuri Yoshinaga
      • Mitsuo Hamada
      • Eijirô Tôno
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Kirio Urayama
    • Writers
      • Chiyo Hayafune(novel)
      • Shôhei Imamura(screenplay)
      • Kirio Urayama(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Sayuri Yoshinaga
      • Mitsuo Hamada
      • Eijirô Tôno
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos

    Kyûpora no aru machi (1962)
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    Top cast

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    Sayuri Yoshinaga
    • Jun
    Mitsuo Hamada
    • Katsumi Tsukamoto
    Eijirô Tôno
    Eijirô Tôno
    • Tatsugorô Ishiguro (Jun's father)
    Shôichi Ozawa
    • Teacher at the Juvenile Classification Office
    Kazuko Yoshiyuki
    Kazuko Yoshiyuki
    • Woman Worker
    Taiji Tonoyama
    Taiji Tonoyama
    • Matsunaga
    Takeshi Katô
    Takeshi Katô
    • Mr. Noda
    Tanie Kitabayashi
    Tanie Kitabayashi
    • Ume
    Tokuko Sugiyama
    • Tomi (Jun's mother)
    Kin Sugai
    Kin Sugai
    • Miyo
    Jun Hamamura
    Jun Hamamura
    Nobuo Kawakami
    • Detective
    Akiji Kobayashi
    Akiji Kobayashi
    • Hei-san
    Tsutomu Shimomoto
    • Tôgo
    Yoshio Ichikawa
    • Takayuki
    Hideki Morisaka
    • Sankichi
    Mitsuko Suzuki
    • Yoshie Kanayama
    Ikunosuke Koizumi
    • Master at ramen shop
    • Director
      • Kirio Urayama
    • Writers
      • Chiyo Hayafune(novel)
      • Shôhei Imamura(screenplay)
      • Kirio Urayama(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Followed by Miseinen - Zoku cupola no aru machi (1965)

    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Family drama set in working class town.
    Cupola no aru Machi (A Town of Cupolas) was released a few days before I was born. It chronicles the daily hardships and adventures of folk living in Kawaguchi, a city just one stop out of Tokyo in 1962. the grinding poverty, and squalor are pervasive, as is the genuine kindness that many of the people demonstrate even in the face of adversity.

    It is interesting that I first went to Kawaguchi in 1985, and some of the scenes from the film were still possible to imagine. The slums where the main characters lived were cleared away in the late 80s, to make way for development, and it was said at the time that some residents resisted moving, even though they were compensated, as they feared losing their close sense of community. Now, in 2007, Kawaguchi is a glass and concrete jungle, and the area around the station would be utterly unrecognizable to anyone returning after a 45 year absence. Although the foundry featured in the movie (and probably the one where some scenes were shot) is still intact, an ancient building surrounded by newer developments, quite a few of the smaller factories and perhaps half of the original foundries have been swallowed up by parking lots, high rise apartments, and the rest.

    The main character, 15 year old Jun wants to attend high school, even though her family is poor, and her father, a drunken gambling no-hoper is almost unemployable. One scene is particularly poignant, as he collapses in an alcoholic stupor, his wife tries to find some of his wages that he seems to have blown on betting and booze, she kicks his inert form screeching her frustration and rage as the family looks on. He eventually accepts the help of the local Communist-run labour unions, and Jun becomes friends with the youthful local organiser, although their relationship is more along the lines of a watchful older brother and his little sister than a potential romantic couple.

    Like many traditional Japanese stories, rather than a detailed plot and build-up, we are seeing more a snapshot of life, rather like dropping in on some acquaintances, getting to know them just a little, then bidding them farewell, forever wondering what became of them. This is the movie's strength, as the ending leaves you wondering what comes next.
    helpful•11
    0
    • Russell62
    • Aug 3, 2007

    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 8, 1962 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Foundry Town
    • Production company
      • Nikkatsu
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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