The Inland Sea
Synopsis
In 1971, author and film scholar Donald Richie published a poetic travelogue about his explorations of the islands of Japan’s Inland Sea, recording his search for traces of a traditional way of life as well as his own journey of self-discovery. Twenty years later, filmmaker Lucille Carra undertook a parallel trip inspired by Richie’s by-then-classic book, capturing images of hushed beauty and meeting people who still carried on the fading customs that Richie had observed. Interspersed with surprising detours—a visit to a Frank Sinatra-loving monk, a leper colony, an ersatz temple of plywood and plaster—and woven together by Richie’s narration as well as a score by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu, The Inland Sea is an eye-opening voyage and a profound meditation on what it means to be a foreigner.
Top Cast
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Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Lucille Carra
- Screenplay & Story
- Donald Richie, Lucille Carra
- Original Score
- Tōru Takemitsu
- Original Title
- The Inland Sea
- Country of Origin
- Japan, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese, English
- Runtime
- 56m
- Production Studios
- Travelfilm Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Lucille Carra
Donald Richie, Lucille Carra
Tōru Takemitsu
Hiro Narita
Brian Cotnoir
Gerald Carrus, Brian Cotnoir, Lucille Carra
Department Leadership Roster
Lucille Carra
Director
Hiro Narita
Director of Photography
Brian Cotnoir
Producer
Tōru Takemitsu
Original Music Composer
Brian Cotnoir
Editor
Lucille Carra
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Inland Sea.
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Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *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：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Every film released by The Criterion Collection on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K, including box sets and Eclipse. Enumerated from Wikidata and Wikipedia.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Inland Sea
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Inland Sea about?
In 1971, author and film scholar Donald Richie published a poetic travelogue about his explorations of the islands of Japan’s Inland Sea, recording his search for traces of a traditional way of life as well as his own journey of self-discovery. Twenty years later, filmmaker Lucille Carra undertook a parallel trip inspired by Richie’s by-then-classic book, capturing images of hushed beauty and meeting people who still carried on the fading customs that Richie had observed. Interspersed with surprising detours—a visit to a Frank Sinatra-loving monk, a leper colony, an ersatz temple of plywood and plaster—and woven together by Richie’s narration as well as a score by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu, The Inland Sea is an eye-opening voyage and a profound meditation on what it means to be a foreigner.
Who directed The Inland Sea?
The Inland Sea was directed by Lucille Carra.
Who stars in The Inland Sea?
The principal cast of The Inland Sea includes Donald Richie.
When was The Inland Sea released and how long is it?
The Inland Sea was released in 1991 with a total runtime of 56m.
Who composed the musical score for The Inland Sea?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Inland Sea was composed by Tōru Takemitsu.