I Want to Be a Shellfish
私は貝になりたい
Synopsis
Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the accusation by GHQ, Toyomatsu "attemped to kill a US prisoner", which was nothing but an order by his superior and failed after all with hurting the prisoner by weak Toyomatsu. Also, Toyomatsu was driven to corner at the trial by the fact that he fed the US prisoner some burdock roots to nourish him. Toyomatsu believes nothing but being not guilty, but he is sentenced to death by hanging. Prior to the execution, Toyomatsu writes a long farewell letter to his family, the wife and the only son: "If I ever incarnate, I hate to be a human being any more.... Oh yes, I would like to be...a shellfish living on the rock-bottom of the sea."
Top Cast
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Frankie Sakai
Shimizu Toyomatsu
Mutsuko Sakura
Shimizu Fusae
Toshie Takada
Toshiko
Shin Saburi
Lieutenant-General Yano
Yoshio Ōmori
Staff Officer
Yasumi Hara
Kōji Nanbara
Koji Kiyomura
Kazuo Kumakura
Hōsei Komatsu
Taketoshi Naitō
Seijirô Onda
Shinjirō Asano
Junji Masuda
Takeshi Sakamoto
Hisao Toake
Gorō Tarumi
Akitake Kōno
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Yoshihiko Okamoto
- Screenplay & Story
- Tetsutarō Katō
- Original Score
- Keiji Dobashi
- Original Title
- 私は貝になりたい
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Production Studios
- TBS
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Yoshihiko Okamoto
Tetsutarō Katō, Shinobu Hashimoto
Keiji Dobashi
Department Leadership Roster
Tetsutarō Katō
Screenplay
Yoshihiko Okamoto
Director
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for I Want to Be a Shellfish.
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Frequently Asked Questions About I Want to Be a Shellfish
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is I Want to Be a Shellfish about?
Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the accusation by GHQ, Toyomatsu "attemped to kill a US prisoner", which was nothing but an order by his superior and failed after all with hurting the prisoner by weak Toyomatsu. Also, Toyomatsu was driven to corner at the trial by the fact that he fed the US prisoner some burdock roots to nourish him. Toyomatsu believes nothing but being not guilty, but he is sentenced to death by hanging. Prior to the execution, Toyomatsu writes a long farewell letter to his family, the wife and the only son: "If I ever incarnate, I hate to be a human being any more.... Oh yes, I would like to be...a shellfish living on the rock-bottom of the sea."
Who directed I Want to Be a Shellfish?
I Want to Be a Shellfish was directed by Yoshihiko Okamoto.
Who stars in I Want to Be a Shellfish?
The principal cast of I Want to Be a Shellfish includes Frankie Sakai, Mutsuko Sakura, Toshie Takada, Shin Saburi, Yoshio Ōmori.
When was I Want to Be a Shellfish released and how long is it?
I Want to Be a Shellfish was released in 1958 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.
Who composed the musical score for I Want to Be a Shellfish?
The original motion picture soundtrack for I Want to Be a Shellfish was composed by Keiji Dobashi.