Japan / Apr 09, 1957
Elephant from "Zoo Story" (1957)
Directed by Kajirō Yamamoto
1h 7minruntime
1vote
0reviews
Overall average
5.0/10
Plot
The fifth film in the Toho Diamond series, following "The Hateful Thing." Based on the true story of "Zoo Story" by author Fukuda Saburo. During the Tokyo air raids of World War II, Zen-san, an elephant keeper at Ueno Zoo, is faced with the heartbreaking task of euthanizing Tonki, a beloved elephant, due to food shortages and wartime pressures. Unable to carry out the order, Zen-san secretly feeds Tonki, but the elephant is ultimately shot by the military police. The film poignantly captures Zen-san’s despair and the devastation of war, as he reflects on his powerlessness amid the chaos.
Main cast
Full cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Noriko Honma | Tetsu (Zen's wife) |
| Okayu Taka | Takahashi (Leopard) |
| Akira Sera | Ito (Small Bird) |
| Mitsuo Tsuda | Inoue (Camel handler) |
| Tadao Nakamaru | Narita (Sergeant) |
| Keiko Môri | Hisako (Student mobilization) |
| Keiji Sakakida | Postman |
| Akio Kusama | Ueno Police Chief |
| Hiroshi Akitsu | Old skilled worker |
| Tadashi Okabe | Newspaper reporter Tsurumi |
| Ren Yamamoto | Newspaper reporter Kanayama |
| Kazuyo Fukuda | Auxiliary Military Police |
| Takeo Oikawa | Sendai Zoo Director |
| Takashi Itô | |
| Akemi Ueno | |
| Reiko Wakamizu | |
| Kimiko Naito |
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| Yûko Nogami | |
| Amagi Sanae | |
| Masako Tsutsumi | Sayama's wife |
Genres
Drama
Technical details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Original title | 「動物園物語」より 象 |
| Original language | 日本語 (JA) |
| Spoken languages | 日本語 |
| Production countries | Japan |
| Status | Released |
| Production companies | TOHO |
| Release date | 9 aprile 1957 |
| Production | Jin Usami |
| Writer | Saburo Fukuda, Kajirō Yamamoto |
| Editing | Chozo Obata |
| Cinematography | Hajime Koizumi, Goichi Araki |
| Assistant directors | Koji Kajita, Toshiie Sakigami, Kajirō Yamamoto |
| Lighting | Soichi Yokoi |
| Camera operators | Hajime Koizumi, Goichi Araki |
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| Additional photography | Hajime Koizumi, Goichi Araki |
| Production design | Tatsuo Kita |
| Art direction | Tatsuo Kita |
| Set decoration | Tatsuo Kita |
| Music | Urato Watanabe, Shin Watarai |
| Sound | Urato Watanabe, Shin Watarai |
Release dates
Theatrical release
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