Overview

July 1945. War‑exhausted Japan groans under the heel of a brutal military regime. Young journalist Saeki struggles to cling to a fading sense of justice. Writer Yoshida slowly loses his convictions to the darkness of unquestioning orders. Kimiko, a young woman, bears the scars of cruelty from the cold‑hearted military police. Private Yamada has deserted the army. His wife, Ryōko, is branded a traitor's wife and relentlessly hunted. When Yamada finally reaches home, he finds his sick child Toshiko lying in bed. The military police drag him away in front of his family; a struggle ensues, and Yamada is shot dead before his wife's eyes. Hiroshima is annihilated by an atomic bomb. Rumors spread of a final decisive battle on the mainland. The people clutch bamboo spears with gaunt hands. Then August 15th arrives: Japan's defeat is laid bare before the stunned populace.

Top Cast

Eiji Okada

Reporter Saeki

Kyōko Kagawa

Kimiko Sasaki

Yatsuko Tan'ami

Tsuruko Sasaki

Kinzō Shin

Private Yamada

Hatae Kishi

Ryoko Yamada

Tokue Hanazawa

Tome-san

Akitake Kōno

Junji Yoshida

Masao Mishima

Toyama-san

H

Haruko Toda

Kane-san