Departures
おくりびと
“The gift of last memories.”
Synopsis
Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for work with departures of a more permanent nature – as an undertaker’s assistant.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Departures (2008) HD Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2009-05-20
Top Cast
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Masahiro Motoki
Daigo Kobayashi
Ryoko Hirosue
Mika Kobayashi
Tsutomu Yamazaki
Ikuei Sasaki
Kimiko Yo
Yuriko Kamimura
Tetta Sugimoto
Yamashita
Toru Minegishi
Yoshiki Kobayashi
Tatsuo Yamada
Togashi
Yukiko Tachibana
Yukari Tachibana
Rie Yamashita
Genjitsu Shu
Taro Ishida
Sonezaki
Yukimi Koyanagi
Hiroyuki Kishi
Sanae Miyata
Naomi Togashi
Ryosuke Otani
Tomeo's Father
Mitsuyo Hoshino
Kazuko Kobayashi
Tarō Suwa
Tatsuhito Okuda
Release History & Theatrical Window
Eiga-Sai Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
September 13, 2008
Wide Cinema Exhibition
April 16, 2009
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
Undisclosed
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$69.9M
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Yojiro Takita
- Screenplay & Story
- Kundo Koyama
- Original Score
- Joe Hisaishi
- Original Title
- おくりびと
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 10m
- Worldwide Gross
- $69.9M
- Production Studios
- TBS, Amuse Soft Entertainment, MBS, Sedic, Shogakukan, TBS Radio, Shochiku, dentsu, The Asahi Shimbun
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Yojiro Takita
Kundo Koyama
Joe Hisaishi
Takeshi Hamada
Akimasa Kawashima
Toshiaki Nakazawa, Ichirô Nobukuni, Yasuhiro Mase, Toshihisa Watai
Department Leadership Roster
Yojiro Takita
Director
Joe Hisaishi
Original Music Composer
Toshiaki Nakazawa
Producer
Ichirô Nobukuni
Producer
Kundo Koyama
Screenplay
Akimasa Kawashima
Editor
Fumio Ogawa
Production Design
Takeshi Hamada
Director of Photography
Toshihisa Watai
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Departures.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Departures.
Asian Cinema
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Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Departures
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Departures about?
Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for work with departures of a more permanent nature – as an undertaker’s assistant.
Who directed Departures?
Departures was directed by Yojiro Takita.
Who stars in Departures?
The principal cast of Departures includes Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kimiko Yo, Tetta Sugimoto.
When was Departures released and how long is it?
Departures was released in 2008 with a total runtime of 2h 10m.
How much did Departures make at the box office?
Departures grossed $69.9M in worldwide ticket sales.
Who composed the musical score for Departures?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Departures was composed by Joe Hisaishi.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Departures?
Departures holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); CA: 14A; DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).