To Love
愛する
Synopsis
Mitsu works in a factory and has a crush on Tsutomu, a young man she met on the Tokyo streets. One day the two go out, and after some deception, Tsutomu manages to have his way with her. Coming from a broken home, he is frightened by love, so he cruelly allows her to wake up alone. A month passes and a more grown-up Tsutomu returns. The lovers joyously reunite and move in together. All is blissful until both notice a strange sore on Mitsu's arm. The doctors diagnose it as leprosy. Without telling Tsutomu, Mitsu checks into a leper sanitarium. Hanging out with society's pariahs gives her much insight. She discovers the old lepers to be wonderful people. In turn, Mitsu becomes their source of joy and renewed hope. Still, she misses her Tsutomu. One day, the doctors inform her that they erred and that the sore is not leprosy. Happily she heads back to her true love until she realizes with a guilty pang that to return to him would mean unhappiness for her newfound friends
Top Cast
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Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kei Kumai
- Screenplay & Story
- Kei Kumai, Shūsaku Endō
- Original Score
- Teizō Matsumura
- Original Title
- 愛する
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Production Studios
- Nikkatsu Corporation
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kei Kumai
Kei Kumai, Shūsaku Endō
Teizō Matsumura
Masao Tochizawa
Osamu Inoue
Yuzo Yamaguchi
Department Leadership Roster
Kei Kumai
Director
Teizō Matsumura
Original Music Composer
Osamu Inoue
Editor
Kei Kumai
Writer
Yuzo Yamaguchi
Producer
Masao Tochizawa
Director of Photography
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for To Love.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring To Love.
Kinema Junpo - Best Japanese Films (1926-2024) [Imported]
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Frequently Asked Questions About To Love
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is To Love about?
Mitsu works in a factory and has a crush on Tsutomu, a young man she met on the Tokyo streets. One day the two go out, and after some deception, Tsutomu manages to have his way with her. Coming from a broken home, he is frightened by love, so he cruelly allows her to wake up alone. A month passes and a more grown-up Tsutomu returns. The lovers joyously reunite and move in together. All is blissful until both notice a strange sore on Mitsu's arm. The doctors diagnose it as leprosy. Without telling Tsutomu, Mitsu checks into a leper sanitarium. Hanging out with society's pariahs gives her much insight. She discovers the old lepers to be wonderful people. In turn, Mitsu becomes their source of joy and renewed hope. Still, she misses her Tsutomu. One day, the doctors inform her that they erred and that the sore is not leprosy. Happily she heads back to her true love until she realizes with a guilty pang that to return to him would mean unhappiness for her newfound friends
Who directed To Love?
To Love was directed by Kei Kumai.
Who stars in To Love?
The principal cast of To Love includes Miki Sakai, Atsuro Watabe, Joe Shishido, Chieko Matsubara, Miki Sanjō.
When was To Love released and how long is it?
To Love was released in 1997 with a total runtime of 1h 54m.
Who composed the musical score for To Love?
The original motion picture soundtrack for To Love was composed by Teizō Matsumura.
Is To Love based on a book or true story?
To Love is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Shūsaku Endō".