A sad rakugo of a stingy old man experiencing the unforeseen consequences of eating a few cherries whole, without throwing the pits away.
Can't get enough of movies and TV shows that scare up a good fright? Check out Scary Good, IMDb's Horror Entertainment Guide.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Atama-yama (2002)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
Kafuka: Inaka isha
(2007)
Animation
|
Short
Director:
Koji Yamamura
Stars:
Sensaku Shigeyama,
Shigeru Shigeyama,
Doji Shigeyama
The Old Lady and the Pigeons
(1997)
Animation
|
Short
|
Comedy
Director:
Sylvain Chomet
Stars:
James Pidgeon,
Michoue Sylvain,
Andrea Usher-Jones
Balance
(1989)
Animation
|
Short
|
Drama
Directors:
Christoph Lauenstein,
Wolfgang Lauenstein
Das Rad
(2001)
Animation
|
Short
|
Comedy
Directors:
Chris Stenner,
Arvid Uibel, and 1 more credit »
Stars:
Rainer Basedow,
Michael Habeck
Bob's Birthday
(1994)
Animation
|
Comedy
|
Short
Directors:
David Fine,
Alison Snowden
Stars:
Andy Hamilton,
Harry Enfield,
Alison Snowden
Katedra
(2002)
Animation
|
Short
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Tomasz Baginski
Stars:
Jola Rzebuska,
Maria Kucharska,
Marcin Jaskowski
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Accompanied by a shamisen, a masterful storyteller verses his lyric and sad rakugo (a traditional form of Japanese verbal entertainment) of a stingy old man living in a squalid tiny apartment in Tokyo, who after scavenging a few cherries from the pavement, he eats them whole for fear of wasting the pits. Before long, a minuscule cherry tree sprouts unexpectedly atop his bulging head, and when all efforts to get rid of it are proven futile, he allows it to grow into a magnificent tree where people gather for hanami under its cherry blossoms. And then, when the hordes of men start being annoying, the desperate man takes a decision that will follow him for the rest of his life. Written by Nick Riganas
Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
JapanLanguage:
JapaneseRelease Date:
January 2004 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Mountain Head See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (Ontario) |Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Explore popular movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
I fell in love with this film the first time I saw it, and it remains one of my absolute favorite animated shorts. I can entirely understand why a lot of people dislike Atama Yama - it's slow-paced, eccentric, and the story is kinda nonsensical. But for me it works. Amazingly so.
The art is very original. Its unique design is quite different from the typical anime style, and much more expressive. The animation is very lively as well. Though rough, it has a wonderful sense of weight, space, and movement. Complementing the visuals is a narration sung by a minstrel, who also plays the shamisen.
When it all comes together, the result is beautiful. For me, Yamamura creates an evocative, humorous mood in every scene. Can't wait to see what he does next.