Elephant from "Zoo Story"
09/04/1957
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.
Movie Information
Kenichi Enomoto
as Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
Keiju Kobayashi
as Head of Animal Care Division, Higashi
Momoko Kôchi
as Yoshiko (Student mobilization)
Kyōko Anzai
as Miyazawa Sensei
Yoshio Kosugi
as Sugiura (Gatekeeper)
Sachio Sakai
as Tamura (Lion Officer)
Sōji Ubukata
as Director of Toda Zoo
Noriko Honma
as Tetsu (Zen's wife)
Okayu Taka
as Takahashi (Leopard)
Akira Sera
as Ito (Small Bird)
Mitsuo Tsuda
as Inoue (Camel handler)
Tadao Nakamaru
as Narita (Sergeant)
Keiko Môri
as Hisako (Student mobilization)
Keiji Sakakida
as Postman
Akio Kusama
as Ueno Police Chief
Hiroshi Akitsu
as Old skilled worker
Tadashi Okabe
as Newspaper reporter Tsurumi
Ren Yamamoto
as Newspaper reporter Kanayama
Kazuyo Fukuda
as Auxiliary Military Police
Takeo Oikawa
as Sendai Zoo Director
Takashi Itô
as
Akemi Ueno
as
Reiko Wakamizu
as
Kimiko Naito
as
Yûko Nogami
as
Amagi Sanae
as
Masako Tsutsumi
as Sayama's wife
