Tokyo Story
1953 · Movie · 137 min · ★ 8.2 · 100% critics
Elderly travelers journey from their seaside home to Tokyo to visit their adult children, but the visit is shaped by how little time the children can spare. As the city moves on, their company falls mostly to a widowed daughter-in-law, who tries to make the parents feel welcomed and cared for.
Where to watch
Watch free on Kanopy and Plex — also streaming on HBO Max, TCM and The Criterion Channel.
2 hours to watch.
Stream (included)
Rent
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Original title
- 東京物語
- Years
- 1953
- Release date
- 1953-11-03
- Language
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Critic score
- 100/100
- TMDB rating
- 8.2/10 (1,218 votes)
About
A quiet, slowly unfolding family drama that emphasizes changing priorities and how care can fade in a busy city, Not for you if you need constant plot movement or big emotional outbursts rather than patient observation like Late Spring or An Autumn Afternoon.
Pros: gentle, human drama; strong elder performances; timeless family themes | Cons: slow, unhurried pacing; emotionally heavy moments
Themes
- fish
- beach
- dreams
- baby
- coma
- parent child relationship
- peace
- boat
- cake
- office
- baseball
- classroom
- +20 more
Cast & crew
Chishū Ryū
as Shukichi Hirayama
Chieko Higashiyama
as Tomi Hirayama
Setsuko Hara
as Noriko Hirayama
Haruko Sugimura
as Shige Kaneko
So Yamamura
as Koichi Hirayama
Kuniko Miyake
as Fumiko Hirayama
Kyōko Kagawa
as Kyoko Hirayama
Eijirō Tōno
as Numata
Nobuo Nakamura
as Kurazo Kaneko
Shirō Ōsaka
as Keizo Hirayama
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu