Elephant from "Zoo Story"
「動物園物語」より 象
Release: 1957-04-09
·Runtime: 67m
Drama
The fifth film in the Toho Diamond series, following "The Hateful Thing." Based on the true story of "Zoo Story" by author Fukuda Saburo. During the Tokyo air raids of World War II, Zen-san, an elephant keeper at Ueno Zoo, is faced with the heartbreaking task of euthanizing Tonki, a beloved elephant, due to food shortages and wartime pressures. Unable to carry out the order, Zen-san secretly feeds Tonki, but the elephant is ultimately shot by the military police. The film poignantly captures Zen-san’s despair and the devastation of war, as he reflects on his powerlessness amid the chaos.
Production Countries
Japan
Production Companies
TOHO
Cast
Momoko Kôchi
as Yoshiko (Student mobilization)
Kyōko Anzai
as Miyazawa Sensei
Keiji Sakakida
as Postman
Yoshio Kosugi
as Sugiura (Gatekeeper)
Sachio Sakai
as Tamura (Lion Officer)
Masako Tsutsumi
as Sayama's wife
Kenichi Enomoto
as Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
Keiju Kobayashi
as Head of Animal Care Division, Higashi
Noriko Honma
as Tetsu (Zen's wife)
Tadao Nakamaru
as Narita (Sergeant)
Akio Kusama
as Ueno Police Chief
Tadashi Okabe
as Newspaper reporter Tsurumi
Ren Yamamoto
as Newspaper reporter Kanayama
