Ikiru

Directed by
Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
Ikiru

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.

Released 9 Oct 1952
Genres Drama
Runtime 2 hours, 23 minutes
Countries Japan

Liked by directors

Cast

Takashi Shimura

Takashi Shimura

Kanji Watanabe
Haruo Tanaka

Haruo Tanaka

Sakai
Nobuo Kaneko

Nobuo Kaneko

Mitsuo, son of Kanji
Bokuzen Hidari

Bokuzen Hidari

Ohara
Miki Odagiri

Miki Odagiri

Toyo
Shinichi Himori

Shinichi Himori

Kimura
Minoru Chiaki

Minoru Chiaki

Noguchi
Minosuke Yamada

Minosuke Yamada

Subordinate Clerk Saito
Kamatari Fujiwara

Kamatari Fujiwara

Sub-Section Chief Ono
Makoto Kobori

Makoto Kobori

Kiichi Watanabe, Kanji's Brother
Nobuo Nakamura

Nobuo Nakamura

Deputy Mayor
Atsushi Watanabe

Atsushi Watanabe

Patient
Isao Kimura

Isao Kimura

Intern
Masao Shimizu

Masao Shimizu

Doctor
Yūnosuke Itō

Yūnosuke Itō

Novelist
Yoshie Minami

Yoshie Minami

The Maid
Kumeko Urabe

Kumeko Urabe

Tatsu Watanabe
Eiko Miyoshi

Eiko Miyoshi

Housewife
Noriko Honma

Noriko Honma

Housewife
Yatsuko Tan'ami

Yatsuko Tan'ami

Bar Hostess
Kin Sugai

Kin Sugai

Housewife
Kyôko Seki

Kyôko Seki

Kazue Watanabe
Kusuo Abe

Kusuo Abe

City Assemblyman
Tomo'o Nagai

Tomo'o Nagai

Newspaperman
Seiji Miyaguchi

Seiji Miyaguchi

Yakuza Boss
Daisuke Katō

Daisuke Katō

Yakuza
Hiroshi Hayashi

Hiroshi Hayashi

Yakuza
Fuyuki Murakami

Fuyuki Murakami

Newspaperman
Hirayoshi Aono

Hirayoshi Aono

Newspaperman
Toranosuke Ogawa

Toranosuke Ogawa

Park Section Chief

Akira Sera

Worker in General Affairs
Ichirō Chiba

Ichirō Chiba

Policeman
Akira Tani

Akira Tani

Bar Owner

Yōyō Kojima

Worker in Sewage Section
Toshiyuki Ichimura

Toshiyuki Ichimura

Pianist
Harue Kuramoto

Harue Kuramoto

Dancer

Rasa Saya

Stripper
Taizō Fukami

Taizō Fukami

Baseball Spectator

Tateo Kawasaki

Civil Engineering Section Staff
Keiichirô Katsumoto

Keiichirô Katsumoto

Park Division Staff
Haruko Toyama

Haruko Toyama

Cabaret Woman
Sachio Sakai

Sachio Sakai

Yakuza (uncredited)
Shōichi Hirose

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 Katô

Shigeo Katô

(uncredited)

Hiroshi Akitsu

Infectious Diseases Section Receptionist Staff (uncredited)

Ippei Kawagoe

Road Section Receptionist (uncredited)
Mitsuo Tsuda

Mitsuo Tsuda

City Planning Receptionist (uncredited)
Keiji Sakakida

Keiji Sakakida

Land Readjustment Section Receptionist (uncredited)

Takuzō Kumagai

Fire Department Staff (uncredited)

Tsuneo Katagiri

(uncredited)

Junpei Natsuki

Patient (uncredited)
Hiroshi Koizumi

Hiroshi Koizumi

Jazz Bar Guest (uncredited)

Jun'ichirō Mukai

(uncredited)
Sōjirō Motoki

Sōjirō Motoki

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Kyoko Aoyama

Kyoko Aoyama

Schoolgirl (uncredited)

Crew