Tokyo Chorus
Encyclopedia
was a 1931
silent movie
produced by Shochiku Company, directed by acclaimed and influential Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu
and starring Tokihiko Okada
and Emiko Yagumo. It was based on various stories in the Shoshimin-gai (Middle Class Avenue) series and also shares influences with King Vidor
's The Crowd
. Most of the film takes place in Tokyo
during a depression-like time in the beginning of the Shōwa period
.
'like all the other boys'. Okajima reluctantly promises to try and purchase the bike for his son as well as a gift for his daughter, Miyoko (Hideko Takamine), and something for 'Baby' (never named during the film).
After receiving his bonus (which he has yet to open due to his peeping coworkers), Okajima writes out the list of presents he will buy for his family he notices a worker across from him named Rou-Shain Yamada (Takeshi Sakamoto) is upset and he asks why. Yamada admits he is being let go due to his last two clients dying shortly after signing their policies. Upset for him Okajima gathers the other workers to go 'protest at least once' to the boss but everyone chickens out and one such worker (Isamu Yamaguchi) challenges Okajima to make the protest himself. Okajima takes the challenge. While in the office the boss is offended at the subject and the two begin a quite comedic fight. By the end of the fight Okajima is fired and bows as he leaves. He returns home with a scooter
for his son, who is immediately disappointed and throws a tantrum
. His wife Tsuma Sugako (Emiko Yaguma) returns from the market and tries to calm the boy while Choujo tells her what happened.
Sugako scolds her husband saying he should not lie to children. Okajima sits on the floor trying his best to not be upset. He eventually shows her his discharge notice and she tries to get her son to accept the scooter. Chounan refuses and Okajima says quietly that they should buy him a bike, which by the next scene they apparently have. Still looking for employment Okajima does his best to be pleasant. He sees his son playing with a group of boys and their bikes only to be told that Miyoko is sick with 'childhood diarrhea
'. Upset he takes his son and rushes home to find it is true. Sugako informs him the Doctor wanted Miyoko to stay at the hospital
but due to money concerns she waited. Okajima says he will make the money somehow and tells his son to summon a rickshaw
to take them all to the hospital.
At the hospital Miyoko recovers apparently quickly. Sugako asks her husband again how they will pay for it and he says he will find a way. He takes his son and on piggyback they return home. The next day the whole family returns home. Okajima initiates his son and daughter in a hand-clapping styled game. Sugako goes to her dresser to find the drawers empty. She panics thinking they have been robbed. Okajima is unfazed and just smiles at her saying, "Thanks to your Kimono
, our Miyoko is well again!", and continues playing. Sugako joins them as her and her husband share looks and she wipes away her tears. Still in need of work a well dressed Okajimo tries an Employment agency
; which has no work for him. He walks away only to bump into his old teacher, Mr. Omura (Tatsuo Saito). Omura has quit teaching and now runs a restaurant called "The Calorie Café". It mainly serves curry rice
. He offers Okajimo a job 'until he can find him a good one' which he swears he can. Okajimo insists he'll only take the job if it is out of friendship; not pity. He ends up taking the job.
After trying some of the food Okajimo is told his job will be holding a banner and passing out flyers; the very job Douryou ended up with earlier in the film after his firing. Okajimo is disappointed as he feels it is beneath him; but takes it for his family. The next day both he and Mr. Omura are carrying banners and handing out flyers. On the street car his wife and children spot him. Sugako is distraught at the thought of her husband working such a degrading job. She confronts him about it and he tells her he has no choice for the moment. She says she will work his next shift, as he shows her a blister he got from carrying the heavy banners.
The next day, Sugako, Tsuma, Mr. and Mrs Omura (Choko Iida) are cooking up big plates of curry rice. Omura took some of Okajimo's advice and invited all their schoolmates to the restaurant for a meeting. The class sits at the table and drinks happily. At 15 sen a plate the professor realizes he should charge and does; which the drunken crowd does not seem to mind. As they eat a letter arrives from the Ministry of Education. Omura opens it and calls Okajima in the kitchen. He shows Okajimo the letter which turns out to be a job for teaching English in a small rural town at a girls school. Omura leaves so Okajimo and Sugako can discuss the matter. After contemplating the matter they both agree there really is no other choice; and once some money is saved they can return to their home. The couple return to the dining room and the final student arrives 'late as always'. Everyone celebrates and breaks out into song.
in 1931. It did not see a US release until 1982. It was released in Japan on DVD as part of a box set from Shochiku
Company in 2003. It was finally released with a new score by Donald Sosin on DVD in the US in 2008 via The Criterion Collection
.
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
silent movie
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
produced by Shochiku Company, directed by acclaimed and influential Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
and starring Tokihiko Okada
Tokihiko Okada
was a Japanese silent film star in Japan during the 1920's and early 1930's. A Tokyo native, he first started at the Taikatsu studio and later he was a leading player for such legendary Japanese directors as Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi. Film critic Tadao Sato recounts that Okada was among the...
and Emiko Yagumo. It was based on various stories in the Shoshimin-gai (Middle Class Avenue) series and also shares influences with King Vidor
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose career spanned nearly seven decades...
's The Crowd
The Crowd
The Crowd is a 1928 American silent film directed by King Vidor. It is notable for its dramatization of the concerns and dangers of urbanization and modernity....
. Most of the film takes place in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
during a depression-like time in the beginning of the Shōwa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
.
Plot
The story starts out with a group of young men attending school drills under the direction of Mr. Omura (Tatsuo Saito). Shinji Okajima (Tokihiko Okada) is seen goofing off, misbehaving, and upsetting his teacher. After being disciplined the drills resume and the boys eventually graduate and go out into the working world. Okajima has grown up, now has a family, and works as an insurance salesman. On the day of their annual bonuses the men are all anxious. Okajima's son (Hideo Sugawara) has his heart set on a bicycleBicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
'like all the other boys'. Okajima reluctantly promises to try and purchase the bike for his son as well as a gift for his daughter, Miyoko (Hideko Takamine), and something for 'Baby' (never named during the film).
After receiving his bonus (which he has yet to open due to his peeping coworkers), Okajima writes out the list of presents he will buy for his family he notices a worker across from him named Rou-Shain Yamada (Takeshi Sakamoto) is upset and he asks why. Yamada admits he is being let go due to his last two clients dying shortly after signing their policies. Upset for him Okajima gathers the other workers to go 'protest at least once' to the boss but everyone chickens out and one such worker (Isamu Yamaguchi) challenges Okajima to make the protest himself. Okajima takes the challenge. While in the office the boss is offended at the subject and the two begin a quite comedic fight. By the end of the fight Okajima is fired and bows as he leaves. He returns home with a scooter
Kick scooter
A kick scooter or push scooter, originally scooter, is a human-powered vehicle with a handlebar, deck and wheels that is propelled by a rider pushing off the ground. The most common scooters today have two hard small wheels, are made primarily of aluminium and fold for convenience...
for his son, who is immediately disappointed and throws a tantrum
Tantrum
A tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, yelling, shrieking, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification and, in some cases, violence...
. His wife Tsuma Sugako (Emiko Yaguma) returns from the market and tries to calm the boy while Choujo tells her what happened.
Sugako scolds her husband saying he should not lie to children. Okajima sits on the floor trying his best to not be upset. He eventually shows her his discharge notice and she tries to get her son to accept the scooter. Chounan refuses and Okajima says quietly that they should buy him a bike, which by the next scene they apparently have. Still looking for employment Okajima does his best to be pleasant. He sees his son playing with a group of boys and their bikes only to be told that Miyoko is sick with 'childhood diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
'. Upset he takes his son and rushes home to find it is true. Sugako informs him the Doctor wanted Miyoko to stay at the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
but due to money concerns she waited. Okajima says he will make the money somehow and tells his son to summon a rickshaw
Rickshaw
A pulled rickshaw is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two persons. Rickshaws are commonly made with bamboo. In recent times the use of rickshaws has been discouraged or outlawed in many countries due to concern for the welfare of...
to take them all to the hospital.
At the hospital Miyoko recovers apparently quickly. Sugako asks her husband again how they will pay for it and he says he will find a way. He takes his son and on piggyback they return home. The next day the whole family returns home. Okajima initiates his son and daughter in a hand-clapping styled game. Sugako goes to her dresser to find the drawers empty. She panics thinking they have been robbed. Okajima is unfazed and just smiles at her saying, "Thanks to your Kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
, our Miyoko is well again!", and continues playing. Sugako joins them as her and her husband share looks and she wipes away her tears. Still in need of work a well dressed Okajimo tries an Employment agency
Employment agency
An employment agency is an organization which matches employers to employees. In all developed countries there is a publicly funded employment agency and multiple private businesses which also act as employment agencies.-Public employment agencies:...
; which has no work for him. He walks away only to bump into his old teacher, Mr. Omura (Tatsuo Saito). Omura has quit teaching and now runs a restaurant called "The Calorie Café". It mainly serves curry rice
Curry rice
Curry rice may refer to:*Japanese curry, usually served with rice*Rice and curry, a Sri Lankan dish...
. He offers Okajimo a job 'until he can find him a good one' which he swears he can. Okajimo insists he'll only take the job if it is out of friendship; not pity. He ends up taking the job.
After trying some of the food Okajimo is told his job will be holding a banner and passing out flyers; the very job Douryou ended up with earlier in the film after his firing. Okajimo is disappointed as he feels it is beneath him; but takes it for his family. The next day both he and Mr. Omura are carrying banners and handing out flyers. On the street car his wife and children spot him. Sugako is distraught at the thought of her husband working such a degrading job. She confronts him about it and he tells her he has no choice for the moment. She says she will work his next shift, as he shows her a blister he got from carrying the heavy banners.
The next day, Sugako, Tsuma, Mr. and Mrs Omura (Choko Iida) are cooking up big plates of curry rice. Omura took some of Okajimo's advice and invited all their schoolmates to the restaurant for a meeting. The class sits at the table and drinks happily. At 15 sen a plate the professor realizes he should charge and does; which the drunken crowd does not seem to mind. As they eat a letter arrives from the Ministry of Education. Omura opens it and calls Okajima in the kitchen. He shows Okajimo the letter which turns out to be a job for teaching English in a small rural town at a girls school. Omura leaves so Okajimo and Sugako can discuss the matter. After contemplating the matter they both agree there really is no other choice; and once some money is saved they can return to their home. The couple return to the dining room and the final student arrives 'late as always'. Everyone celebrates and breaks out into song.
Release
The film was originally released in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1931. It did not see a US release until 1982. It was released in Japan on DVD as part of a box set from Shochiku
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
Company in 2003. It was finally released with a new score by Donald Sosin on DVD in the US in 2008 via The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
.
Cast
- Tokihiko OkadaTokihiko Okadawas a Japanese silent film star in Japan during the 1920's and early 1930's. A Tokyo native, he first started at the Taikatsu studio and later he was a leading player for such legendary Japanese directors as Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi. Film critic Tadao Sato recounts that Okada was among the...
as Shinji Okajima - Emiko Yagumo as Tsuma Sugako (His Wife)
- Hideo Sugawara as Sono Chounan (First Son)
- Hideko TakamineHideko Takaminewas a Japanese actress who began as a child actor and maintained her fame in a career that spanned nine decades.-Life and career:Born in Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan, Takamine's first role was in the Shochiku studio's 1929 film Mother , which brought her tremendous popularity as a child actor. Soon...
as Sono Choujo (First Daughter) - Tatsuo Saito as Omura Sensei (Teacher)
- Choko Iida as Sensei No Tusma (Mrs Omura)
- Takeshi Sakamoto as Rou-Shain Yamada (Old Employee)
- Reiko Tani as Shachou (Company President)
- Kenichi Miyajima as Hisho (Secretary)
- Isamu Yamaguchi as Kaisha No Douryou (An Employee)
Alternative Names
- Le Chœur de Tokyo (France)
- Il Coro di Tokyo (Italy)
- Tokyo Chorus (USA)
- Tokyo no gassho (Japanese alternative)
- Tokyo no kôrasu (Japanese)