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.
- Animal harm
- Bleak ending
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Cast
- Kenichi EnomotoZen-san (Elephant Officer)
- Keiju KobayashiHead of Animal Care Division, Higashi
- Momoko KôchiYoshiko (Student mobilization)
- Kyōko AnzaiMiyazawa Sensei
- Yoshio KosugiSugiura (Gatekeeper)
- Sachio SakaiTamura (Lion Officer)
- Sōji UbukataDirector of Toda Zoo
- Noriko HonmaTetsu (Zen's wife)
- Okayu TakaTakahashi (Leopard)
- Akira SeraIto (Small Bird)
Crew
- Kajirō YamamotoDirector
- Kajirō YamamotoScreenplay
- Chozo ObataEditor
- Jin UsamiProducer
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