The Friends
夏の庭 The Friends
“Things that pass, and things that can't be lost… One summer adventure story of three boys.”
Synopsis
A delightful and moving coming-of-age story. One summer, three young boys take an increasing interest in an eccentric old man who lives alone in a house surrounded by an overgrown garden. The boys form a bond with the recluse and set about weeding and replanting the garden.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official Trailer [Subtitled]Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2025-08-15
Top Cast
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Rentaro Mikuni
Kihachi Denpo
Naoki Sakata
Jun Kiyama
Yasutaka Oh
Kawabe
Ken'ichi Makino
Takeshi Yamashita
Akira Emoto
Nagatomo
Tsurube Shofukutei
Undertaker
Minori Terada
Taniguchi
Naho Toda
Shizuka Kondo
Shigeru Yazaki
Katsuhiro
Chikage Awashima
Yayoi Koko
Ritsuko Nemoto
Tomomi Kiyama
Yôhei Hamanishi
Satoru Fujii
Mariko Momotani
Sayuki Uezono
Aya Mihara
Masabumi Usui
Shigeyoshi Kohira
Release History & Theatrical Window
Nippon Connection Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Shinji Sōmai
- Screenplay & Story
- Yōzō Tanaka
- Original Score
- Izumi Sakai, Sergio Assad
- Original Title
- 夏の庭 The Friends
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 53m
- Production Studios
- Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Shinji Sōmai
Yōzō Tanaka, Kazumi Yumoto
Izumi Sakai, Sergio Assad
Noboru Shinoda
Yoshiyuki Okuhara
Hiroyuki Fujikado, Kei Ijichi, Etsuhiro Katô, Masahiro Yasuda
Department Leadership Roster
Shinji Sōmai
Director
Izumi Sakai
Original Music Composer
Yoshiyuki Okuhara
Editor
Yōzō Tanaka
Screenplay
Hiroyuki Fujikado
Producer
Etsuhiro Katô
Producer
Noboru Shinoda
Director of Photography
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Friends.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Friends.
MovieLens[40K:50K]
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Kinema Junpo - Best Japanese Films (1926-2024) [Imported]
Kinema Junpo Yearly Top 10 Japanese Movies (cumulative)
第93回まで offset of 3 http://www.kinenote.com/main/award/kinejun/
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Friends
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Friends about?
A delightful and moving coming-of-age story. One summer, three young boys take an increasing interest in an eccentric old man who lives alone in a house surrounded by an overgrown garden. The boys form a bond with the recluse and set about weeding and replanting the garden.
Who directed The Friends?
The Friends was directed by Shinji Sōmai.
Who stars in The Friends?
The principal cast of The Friends includes Rentaro Mikuni, Naoki Sakata, Yasutaka Oh, Ken'ichi Makino, Akira Emoto.
When was The Friends released and how long is it?
The Friends was released in 1994 with a total runtime of 1h 53m.
Who composed the musical score for The Friends?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Friends was composed by Izumi Sakai, Sergio Assad.
Is The Friends based on a book or true story?
The Friends is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Kazumi Yumoto".