Ikiru
生きる
“A big story of a little man which will grip your soul...”
Synopsis
Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Ikiru (1952) Original Trailer [4K]
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-06-30
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Takashi Shimura
Kanji Watanabe
Haruo Tanaka
Sakai
Nobuo Kaneko
Mitsuo, son of Kanji
Bokuzen Hidari
Ohara
Miki Odagiri
Toyo
Shinichi Himori
Kimura
Minoru Chiaki
Noguchi
Minosuke Yamada
Subordinate Clerk Saito
Kamatari Fujiwara
Sub-Section Chief Ono
Makoto Kobori
Kiichi Watanabe, Kanji's Brother
Nobuo Nakamura
Deputy Mayor
Atsushi Watanabe
Patient
Isao Kimura
Intern
Masao Shimizu
Doctor
Yūnosuke Itō
Novelist
Yoshie Minami
The Maid
Kumeko Urabe
Tatsu Watanabe
Eiko Miyoshi
Housewife
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 25, 1956
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 27, 2015
VOD & Digital Platforms
April 7, 2006
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$85K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$55K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.65x
-$30K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Screenplay & Story
- Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni
- Original Score
- Fumio Hayasaka
- Original Title
- 生きる
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 23m
- Production Budget
- $85K
- Worldwide Gross
- $55K
- Production Studios
- TOHO
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Akira Kurosawa
Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni
Fumio Hayasaka
Asakazu Nakai
Akira Kurosawa
Sōjirō Motoki
Department Leadership Roster
Asakazu Nakai
Director of Photography
Shinobu Hashimoto
Screenplay
Akira Kurosawa
Screenplay
Akira Kurosawa
Editor
Sōjirō Motoki
Producer
Akira Kurosawa
Director
Hideo Oguni
Screenplay
Fumio Hayasaka
Original Music Composer
Takashi Matsuyama
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Ikiru.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Ikiru.
Movie Collection
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *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：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
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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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S&S Directors - Greatest Films
Sight and Sound’s Directors’ 100 Greatest Films of All Time 2022. Every decade since 1992, Sight and Sound has complemented its celebrated critics’ poll by formally sounding out the world’s leading directors on the ten films they believe to be the greatest of all time. 《视与听》2022年导演评选影史百大电影： 由全球 480 位知名导演共同票选出的影史最伟大电影。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:36:57 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Ikiru
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Ikiru about?
Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
Who directed Ikiru?
Ikiru was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Who stars in Ikiru?
The principal cast of Ikiru includes Takashi Shimura, Haruo Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Bokuzen Hidari, Miki Odagiri.
When was Ikiru released and how long is it?
Ikiru was released in 1952 with a total runtime of 2h 23m.
What was the box office and production budget of Ikiru?
Ikiru had a reported production budget of $85K and grossed $55K at the worldwide box office (0.65 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Ikiru?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Ikiru was composed by Fumio Hayasaka.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Ikiru?
Ikiru holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).