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The Ballad of Narayama

The Ballad of Narayama

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The Ballad of Narayama

"With my mother on my back, now is the time to say goodbye to this world."

1958

1h 38m

7.5(91 votes)

Drama

Overview

In a remote village where food is scarce, elders who reach the age of 70 are carried by their children to the top of a nearby mountain to die in solitude. Orin, a vibrant 69-year-old grandmother, has accepted her fate — but struggles to prepare the rest of her family for the ritual.

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Social & External

Production Companies

Shochiku

The people behind it

Cast & crew

10 featured cast members

Starring

Kinuyo Tanaka

Kinuyo Tanaka

Orin

Teiji Takahashi

Teiji Takahashi

Tatsuhei

Yūko Mochizuki

Yūko Mochizuki

Tamayan

Seiji Miyaguchi

Seiji Miyaguchi

Matayan

Yūnosuke Itō

Yūnosuke Itō

Matayan's son

Ken Mitsuda

Teruyan

Danko Ichikawa

Danko Ichikawa

Kesakichi

Keiko Ogasawara

Matsu-yan

Eijirō Tōno

Eijirō Tōno

Messenger

Kō Nishimura

Kō Nishimura

One of the villagers who Teaches Narayama's Manners (uncredited)

Creative team

Directed by: Keisuke Kinoshita
Written by: Keisuke Kinoshita
Produced by: Masaharu Kokaji
Ryuzo Otani

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