Ikiru

TOHO CO., LTD.

Toho 20th Anniversary Film

Arts Festival Selection - 1952

IKIRU:

Produced by

SOJIRO MOTOGI:

Screenplay by AKIRA KUROSAWA,

SHINOBU HASHIMOTO, HIDEO OGUNI

Cinematography by

ASAKAZU NAKAI:

Music by

FUMIO HAYASAKA:

Cast:

TAKASHI SHIMURA:

Directed by

AKIRA KUROSAWA:

This stomach belongs to

the protagonist of our story.

At this point, our protagonist

has no idea he has this cancer...

PUBLIC AFFAIRS:

SECTION CHIEF:

My child has sensitive skin,

and that water gave him an awful rash.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMEN Plus it breeds mosquitoes like crazy.

And it stinks, besides.

Can't you do something? It would make

a great playground if you filled it in.

Please wait a moment.

Sir, they've come to complain

about a sewage pond.

- Engineering Section.

- Yes.

Ah, here is our protagonist now.

But it would only be tiresome

to meet him right now.

After all,

he's simply passing time

without actually living his life.

In other words,

he's not really even alive.

Odagiri,

how dare you,

during business hours?

But it's so funny.

Funny? What is?

It's the "Liar's Club. "

Someone sent it around.

Read it to us.

"I hear you've never even

taken a vacation.

Is that because City Hall

couldn't function without you?"

"No, because everyone would realize

that City Hall doesn't need me at all. "

Oh, no, this will never do.

He might as well be a corpse.

In fact, this man has been dead

for more than 20 years now.

Before that, he did live a little.

He even actually tried

to do real work.

A PROPOSAL FOR I NCREASI NG

DEPARTMENTAL EFFICI ENCY

SUBMITTED 1930

But now, there's barely a trace of

his old passion and ambition.

He's been worn down completely by

the minutia of the bureaucratic machine

and the meaningless busyness

it breeds.

Busy, always so very busy.

But in fact, this man does

absolutely nothing at all.

Other than protecting

his own spot.

The best way to protect your place

in this world is to do nothing at all.

Is this really

what life is all about?

Is this really

what life is all about?

Before our friend will

take this question seriously,

his stomach has

to get a lot worse,

and he'll have to waste much,

much more time.

But any proposal

for creating a park

goes to the Parks Department.

This really seems to be

a question of hygiene,

so you'd better try

the Health Department.

Go to the Sanitation Department.

See Environmental Sanitation.

Department of Prevention.

Infectious Diseases.

Lots of mosquitoes?

That's a job for

the Division of Pest Control.

The problem is seeping waste,

which means

it's a problem for

the Sewage Department at City Hall.

Originally, it was a ditch

with a road running over it,

which means the Roads Department.

We're waiting on a decision

from City Planning.

Go to Ward Reorganization.

The Fire Department objected

to draining that cesspool.

There are water pressure problems

in that area.

Are you kidding?

All we need's a good water supply.

There's no reason it has to

breed mosquitoes and cause rashes.

Think what a time we'd have

getting that filth out of our hoses.

Of course, we'd love a kiddie pool

in that neighborhood.

Try the Education Department. They

should have a Child Welfare Committee.

But the problem doesn't only

affect children.

We've had enough trouble

just rebuilding all the schools.

A problem this big belongs with your

Ward Representative to the City Council.

I'll give you an introduction

to the Deputy Mayor.

Show him my card

and he'll meet with you immediately.

Please, sit down.

Thank you for all your hard work.

The truth is that we truly appreciate

folks like you,

who know to bring

such complaints directly

to our attention.

That's precisely what inspired

our new Department of Public Affairs.

Don't skimp on your complaints.

Hey, you. Show these folks

the Public Affairs desk.

You'll need to take that up

with Engineering. Desk 8.

How dare you?

Stop giving us the runaround.

What the hell's this poster mean?

To help us kill time?

We call people like you time-killers.

All we want is to get

that stinking cesspool cleaned up.

If it's Engineering, Sewage,

Health, Sanitation or the Fire Department,

Public Affairs should sort it out.

Forget it.

We won't bother you anymore.

You're just laughing at us.

What a mockery of democracy.

Let's go.

Um, excuse me.

Unfortunately, the section chief

took the day off,

and it'd be easier for us

if you'd put this in writing.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS:

SECTION CHIEF:

What do you think?

The section chief

never takes days off.

Yes, he's been

kind of listless recently.

But we really can't have him

taking extended time off.

Exactly. It's not like him to take

a day off over a little cold.

Nothing moves unless he stamps it.

Yes, you're right.

I must say,

it's a terrible shame.

One more month

and he'd have broken the record of

30 years without a single absence.

Trust me, some people are

happy to have him gone.

Only a bureaucrat schemes

to replace his boss as soon as he's out.

What's that medicine

he's been taking?

Stomach medicine. He always slurped

his noodle bowl to the bottom,

but lately, he barely touches it.

Plain noodle soup. In all these years,

I've never seen him eat anything else.

And if the worst happens,

who'll replace him?

What's the rush? Lots more guys

have to die before it's your turn.

X-RAY LAB

- Hiraoka-san...

- Yes.

Your stomach?

Yeah, my stomach's bad, too.

It's what they call "chronic. "

These days I hardly feel alive

unless my stomach hurts.

- Suzuki-san...

- Yes.

That man over there...

His doctor told him

he's got an ulcer,

but trust me, it's stomach cancer.

In a word, that very thing.

And stomach cancer

is practically a death sentence.

The doc usually says

it's just a mild ulcer,

and that there's

no real need to operate.

And that you can eat whatever you want

as long as it's easy to digest.

If that's what he tells you,

you've got a year, at most.

But if you've got these symptoms,

you won't last a year:

First, if the pain is kind of heavy.

Second, if you can't stop

burping unpleasantly.

And your tongue's always dry.

You can't get enough water and tea.

And then there's the diarrhea.

And, if it isn't diarrhea,

well, then you're constipated.

Your bowel movements go black.

And then,

that meat you used to love so,

you can hardly touch it anymore.

And whatever you eat,

you vomit half an hour later.

And when stuff you ate

last week comes up

when you vomit,

well, then you're done for.

You've hardly got three months...

Watanabe-san.

Watanabe Kanji-san.

Watanabe-san.

Yes.

Sit down.

Um... it looks like

you've got a mild ulcer.

Honestly...

please tell me...

the truth.

Tell me it's stomach cancer.

I just told you,

it's a mild ulcer.

What about an operation?

Can't you operate?

Oh, no, there's no need to operate.

It'll heal on its own.

And my diet?

Well, just use your common sense.

As long as it's easy to digest,

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