Elephant from "Zoo Story"

Elephant from "Zoo Story"

1957 · 67 min · Drama

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.

Directed by Kajirō Yamamoto · Written by Kajirō Yamamoto

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Cast

Kenichi Enomoto Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
Keiju Kobayashi Head of Animal Care Division, Higashi
Momoko Kôchi Yoshiko (Student mobilization)
Kyōko Anzai Miyazawa Sensei
Yoshio Kosugi Sugiura (Gatekeeper)
Sachio Sakai Tamura (Lion Officer)
Sōji Ubukata Director of Toda Zoo
Noriko Honma Tetsu (Zen's wife)
Okayu Taka Takahashi (Leopard)
Akira Sera Ito (Small Bird)
Mitsuo Tsuda Inoue (Camel handler)
Tadao Nakamaru Narita (Sergeant)

Make it a double feature

2h 50m together

Elephant from "Zoo Story"

Escape from Prison

Both from Kajirō Yamamoto.

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