Elephant from "Zoo Story"

image
Director(s):
Release date: April 09, 1957
Duration: 67 minutes
Add to favorites

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.

Starring

image
Kenichi Enomoto
Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
image
Keiju Kobayashi
Head of Animal Care Division, Higashi
image
Momoko Kôchi
Yoshiko (Student mobilization)
image
Kyōko Anzai
Miyazawa Sensei
image
Yoshio Kosugi
Sugiura (Gatekeeper)