Storyline
After over 50 years of wandering up and down Japan, finally in the 1970s, the rough-hewn blind shamisen player and folk-song collector named Takahashi Chikuzan became a musical sensation. This biographical drama chronicles his wanderings and his life, with a particular focus on his humble beginnings as a peasant on a remote and arid island.
Cast & Crew
Ryūzō Hayashi
Chikuzan Takahashi
Lead
Nobuko Otowa
Toyo, Mother
Mitsuko Baisho
Chikuzan's 2nd wife
DK
Dai Kanai
Sadakichi, Father
Hiroko Isayama
Tomiko
Hideo Kanze
Tokura
Atsuko Kawaguchi
Otoki
Takuzō Kawatani
Senta
What People Are Saying
5.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Kaneto Shindō's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Life of Chikuzan is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
