The Glacier Fox
キタキツネ物語
“In the Quest of the Northern Sun”
Synopsis
Director Koreyoshi Kurahara chronicles a year in the lives of Flep and Leila, two foxes living in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, where the freezing winters are long and the mild summers short. After Flep defeats another male fox to become Leila's lifelong partner, they mate and raise a litter of five kits. With their family complete, the group must contend with human interference in their habitat, such as chicken farms and snowmobiles, and struggle against the debilitating cold of winter. The animals experience both triumph and tragedy, as the law of this harsh land proves – only the strong survive.
Top Cast
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Release History & Theatrical Window
January 5, 1979
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$8.8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.96x
+$4.3M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Koreyoshi Kurahara
- Screenplay & Story
- Koreyoshi Kurahara, Walter Bloch
- Original Score
- Masaru Satō, Yukihide Takekawa
- Original Title
- キタキツネ物語
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese, English
- Runtime
- 1h 56m
- Production Budget
- $4.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $8.8M
- Production Studios
- Sanrio, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Koreyoshi Kurahara
Koreyoshi Kurahara, Walter Bloch
Masaru Satō, Yukihide Takekawa
Carol Ann DiGiuseppe, Terence Anderson, Akira Suzuki
Shintaro Tsuji, Mark L. Rosen
Department Leadership Roster
Koreyoshi Kurahara
Director
Koreyoshi Kurahara
Writer
Shintaro Tsuji
Producer
Carol Ann DiGiuseppe
Editor
Terence Anderson
Editor
Mark L. Rosen
Producer
Akira Suzuki
Editor
Masaru Satō
Original Music Composer
Carlos Alarid
Editor
Walter Bloch
Writer
Yukihide Takekawa
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
G: General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
International Certification Matrix
General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Glacier Fox.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Glacier Fox.
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Nature-Documentary
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Kinema Junpo - Best Japanese Films (1926-2024) [Imported]
History/Science Documentaries
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Glacier Fox
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Glacier Fox about?
Director Koreyoshi Kurahara chronicles a year in the lives of Flep and Leila, two foxes living in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, where the freezing winters are long and the mild summers short. After Flep defeats another male fox to become Leila's lifelong partner, they mate and raise a litter of five kits. With their family complete, the group must contend with human interference in their habitat, such as chicken farms and snowmobiles, and struggle against the debilitating cold of winter. The animals experience both triumph and tragedy, as the law of this harsh land proves – only the strong survive.
Who directed The Glacier Fox?
The Glacier Fox was directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara.
Who stars in The Glacier Fox?
The principal cast of The Glacier Fox includes Eiji Okada, Arthur Hill.
When was The Glacier Fox released and how long is it?
The Glacier Fox was released in 1978 with a total runtime of 1h 56m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Glacier Fox?
The Glacier Fox had a reported production budget of $4.5M and grossed $8.8M at the worldwide box office (1.96 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Glacier Fox?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Glacier Fox was composed by Masaru Satō, Yukihide Takekawa.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Glacier Fox?
The Glacier Fox holds official age classifications: US: G (General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.).