Overview

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.

Genres

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)

Noriko Honma

Tetsu (Zen's wife)

Tadao Nakamaru

Narita (Sergeant)

Keiji Sakakida

Postman

Akio Kusama

Ueno Police Chief

Tadashi Okabe

Newspaper reporter Tsurumi

Ren Yamamoto

Newspaper reporter Kanayama