Departures (2008)
Okuribito (original title)Reference View | Change View
- PG-13
- 2h 10min
- Drama
- 19 Jun 2009 (USA)
- Movie
Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo learns that his orchestra is disbanding. He moves back to his hometown with his wife, where he answers an ad for what Daigo thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary.
Director:
Writer:
Awards:
- Won 1 Oscar. Another 39 wins & 12 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Masahiro Motoki | ... |
Daigo Kobayashi
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| Tsutomu Yamazaki | ... |
Ikuei Sasaki
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| Ryôko Hirosue | ... |
Mika Kobayashi
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| Kazuko Yoshiyuki | ... |
Tsuyako Yamashita
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| Kimiko Yo | ... |
Yuriko Uemura
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Takashi Sasano | ... |
Shokichi Hirata
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Tetta Sugimoto | ... |
Yamashita
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Tôru Minegishi | ... |
Yoshiki Kobayashi
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Tatsuo Yamada | ... |
Togashi
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Yukari Tachibana |
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Tarô Ishida | ... |
Sonezaki
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Sanae Miyata | ... |
Naomi Togashi
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Ryôsuke Ôtani | ... |
Tomeo's father
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Mitsuyo Hoshino | ... |
Kazuko Kobayashi
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| Tatsuhito Okuda |
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Akemi Fuji |
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Miyako Hattori | ... |
Grandmother
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Mari Hayashida |
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Shinji Hiwatashi |
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Norichika Iimori |
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Yôko Imamoto | ... |
(as Yoko Imamoto)
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Kei Kawai |
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Yûji Kido | ... |
Assistant Director
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| Hiroyuki Kishi | ... |
Tomeyo's Uncle
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Yukimi Koyanagi |
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Mina Kudo |
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Yûki Mashita |
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Kenzô Ryû | ... |
(as Kenzou Ryu)
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Pablo Sacco | ... |
Instrument dealer
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Sadami Sakamoto | ... |
Orchestra Manager
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Takejyu Sato | ... |
Togashi's Relative
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Sayuri Shirai | ... |
Tomeo
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Genjitsu Shu |
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| Tarô Suwa | ... |
Angry father at embalming session
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Ryôichi Suzuki |
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Yukiko Tachibana |
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| Masaaki Takarai | ... |
Orchestra member
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Takao Toji |
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Rin Uchida | ... |
Young Daigo
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Atsushi Yamanaka |
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Miki Hayashida | ... |
Okuyamakenomusume (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Yôjirô Takita | ||
Written by
| Kundô Koyama | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Yasuhiro Mase | ... | executive producer |
| Toshiaki Nakazawa | ... | producer |
| Ichirô Nobukuni | ... | producer |
| Toshihisa Watai | ... | producer |
| Hideharu Yamashita | ... | line producer |
Music by
| Joe Hisaishi | ||
Cinematography by
| Takeshi Hamada | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Akimasa Kawashima | ||
Editorial Department
| Yoshiko Fumoto | ... | first assistant editor |
Casting By
| Takefumi Yoshikawa | ||
Production Design by
| Fumio Ogawa | ||
Art Direction by
| Ilan Wainstein | ... | (art direction) |
Makeup Department
| Etsuko Egawa | ... | special makeup effects artist |
| Isao Tsuge | ... | beauty director |
Sound Department
| Osamu Onodera | ... | sound editor |
| Satoshi Ozaki | ... | sound |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Hitoshi Takaya | ... | gaffer |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Katsuhiko Kitamura | ... | costume supervisor |
Music Department
| Hiroyuki Akita | ... | music engineer / music mixer |
| Nobuo Furukawa | ... | musician: cello |
| Joe Hisaishi | ... | conductor / music arranger / music producer / orchestrator (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Helene Nielsen Beal | ... | director of distribution |
| Jamie Carmichael | ... | President: ContentFilm International |
| Yelena Makarczyk | ... | localization |
| Adam D. Wright | ... | distribution executive (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Amuse Soft
- Asahi Shimbun
- Dentsu
- Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS)
- Sedic
- Shochiku
- Shogakukan
- TBS Radio & Communications
- Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)
Distributors
- Regent Releasing (2009) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Russian Report (2009) (Russia) (theatrical)
- Shochiku (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Studio S Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical) (D-Cinema)
- Tucker Film (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Wild Bunch Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- A-Film Benelux MSD (2011) (Netherlands) (Blu-ray)
- A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Alfa Films (2010) (Argentina)
- Amuse Soft (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
- Arrow Films (2010) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- CN Entertainment (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
- China Movie Channel (2012) (China) (tv)
- Emperor Motion Pictures (2009) (Hong Kong)
- Entertainment One (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
- Entertainment One (2010) (United States) (DVD)
- Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2010) (Italy) (DVD)
- Golden Screen Cinemas (2008) (Malaysia)
- Golden Village Pictures (2008) (Singapore)
- KD Media (2008) (South Korea)
- KOOL Filmdistribution (2009) (Germany)
- Lark Films Distribution (2009) (Hong Kong)
- Madman Entertainment (2008) (Australia)
- Madman Entertainment (2009) (New Zealand)
- Metropolitan Filmexport (2009) (France)
- Narrative Capital (2020) (World-wide)
- Paris Filmes (2009) (Brazil)
- Rai Movie (2016) (Italy) (tv)
- Regent Releasing (2009) (Canada)
- Studio S Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
- Videorama (2009) (Greece)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (2013) (Finland) (tv)
- Zeus Films (2009) (Taiwan)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Aquarita (hairmake cooperation)
- Aveda (hairmake cooperation)
- Butaiya (hairmake cooperation)
- Continental Far East (Dolby consultant)
- De'Longhi (art cooperation)
- East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) (filming cooperation)
- Fredell Pogodin and Associates (Publicity)
- Fuji Eiga (II) (vehicles)
- Imagica (film processing and prints)
- JBL (art cooperation)
- Kamiyama City (filming cooperation)
- Kodak Japan (film stock supplied by)
- Kyuu Kappou Obata (filming cooperation)
- Kyuu Minatoza (filming cooperation)
- Make Up For Ever (hairmake cooperation)
- NK Agent (filming cooperation)
- NTT Docomo (art cooperation)
- Nihon L'Oréal (hairmake cooperation)
- Nihon Shomei Co. (lighting equipment supplied by)
- On-Air Azabu Studio (recording studio)
- Paul & Joe (hairmake cooperation)
- Reeltime Creative (creative advertising materials) (Trailers, Posters, Websites)
- Rodeo Street (vehicles)
- Sakata City (filming cooperation)
- Sakata Civic Hall Kibou Hall (filming cooperation)
- Sakata Location Box (filming cooperation)
- Sankyo Souko (filming cooperation)
- Sanwa Cine Equipment Rental Co. (camera equipment supplied by)
- Shonai Eigamura Co. (filming cooperation)
- Snack Wa (filming cooperation)
- Timberland (wardrobe cooperation)
- Tribeca Film Festival (festival)
- Tsurunoyu (filming cooperation)
- Tsuruoka City (filming cooperation)
- Utowa (hairmake cooperation)
- Victor Studio (recording studio)
- Wonder Station (recording studio)
- Yamagata Prefacture (filming cooperation)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living. Written by Regent Releasing |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The gift of last memories See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Opening Weekend Japan | $2,194,799, 14 Sep 2008 |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $69,932,387 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Masahiro Motoki also learned how to play a cello for the earlier parts of the film. See more » |
| Goofs | The main protagonist (Masahiro Motoki) has his cheek cut during the filming scene. This is covered in subsequent scene. In the next scene both the covering and the scar of the cut is gone. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Up/Drag Me to Hell/The Brothers Bloom/Departures/Pontypool/What Goes Up (2009). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 'Choral' IV. Presto, Allegro assai See more » |
| Quotes |
Daigo Kobayashi:
There are many kinds of coffins. Yuriko Kamimura: 50000, 100000, 300000 yen. Daigo Kobayashi: They differ by that much? Yuriko Kamimura: The left one is plywood, the next one has metal fittings and carvings on both sides. And the most expensive one is solid cypress wood. Daigo Kobayashi: Oh, the difference is in material and decoration. Yuriko Kamimura: Yes, they all burn the same way. Daigo Kobayashi: Same ashes. Yuriko Kamimura: The last shopping of your life is done by others. Daigo Kobayashi: Kind of ironic. See more » |