Ikiru backdrop

Ikiru 1952 Directed by Akira Kurosawa 生きる

A big story of a little man which will grip your soul...

Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.

Country Japan
Production Country Japan
Language Japanese
Spoken Language Japanese
Gnere Drama
Production Company TOHO
Revenue $55,240
Release Date 9 October 1952
143 mins
Cast
Takashi Shimura Kanji Watanabe
Nobuo Kaneko Mitsuo, son of Kanji
Minosuke Yamada Subordinate Clerk Saito
Kamatari Fujiwara Sub-Section Chief Ono
Makoto Kobori Kiichi Watanabe, Kanji's Brother
Nobuo Nakamura Deputy Mayor
Isao Kimura Intern
Yūnosuke Itō Novelist
Yoshie Minami The Maid
Kumeko Urabe Tatsu Watanabe
Eiko Miyoshi Housewife
Noriko Honma Housewife
Yatsuko Tan'ami Bar Hostess
Kin Sugai Housewife
Kyôko Seki Kazue Watanabe
Kusuo Abe City Assemblyman
Tomo'o Nagai Newspaperman
Seiji Miyaguchi Yakuza Boss
Fuyuki Murakami Newspaperman
Hirayoshi Aono Newspaperman
Toranosuke Ogawa Park Section Chief
Akira Sera Worker in General Affairs
Ichirō Chiba Policeman
Akira Tani Bar Owner
Yōyō Kojima Worker in Sewage Section
Rasa Saya Stripper
Taizō Fukami Baseball Spectator
Tateo Kawasaki Civil Engineering Section Staff
Keiichirō Katsumoto Park Division Staff
Haruko Toyama Cabaret Woman
Sachio Sakai Yakuza (uncredited)
Shōichi Hirose Yakuza (uncredited)
Kôji Uno Yakuza (uncredited)
Yaeko Izumo Housewife (uncredited)
Jirô Mitsuaki City Hall Executive (uncredited)
Sôkichi Maki General Manager (uncredited)
Haruo Suzuki Sanitation Division Receptionist (uncredited)
Takeo Nagashima (uncredited)
Kazuo Imai (uncredited)
Shigeo Katō (uncredited)
Hiroshi Akitsu Infectious Diseases Section Receptionist Staff (uncredited)
Ippei Kawagoe Road Section Receptionist (uncredited)
Mitsuo Tsuda City Planning Receptionist (uncredited)
Keiji Sakakida Land Readjustment Section Receptionist (uncredited)
Takuzō Kumagai Fire Department Staff (uncredited)
Tsuneo Katagiri (uncredited)
Junpei Natsuki Patient (uncredited)
Hiroshi Koizumi Jazz Bar Guest (uncredited)
Jun'ichirō Mukai (uncredited)
Sōjirō Motoki Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Kyoko Aoyama Schoolgirl (uncredited)