Ikiru (1952)
Kernel Score: 90% · 1,309 ratings · Rated NR
Genres: Drama
Released: 1952-10-09
Runtime: 143 minutes
Where to watch Ikiru
- Stream: The Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Free with ads: Kanopy
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
Ikiru parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that Ikiru is an NR Japanese drama about a dying bureaucrat searching for meaning in his final months.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official NR rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Ikiru
If you liked Ikiru, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Perfect Days (2023) — 89%
- Tokyo Story (1953) — 91%
- The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959) — 91%
- An Autumn Afternoon (1962) — 88%
- Departures (2008) — 89%
- The Life of Chuck (2025) — 82%
- After the Storm (2016) — 78%
- The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959) — 91%
Director
Cast
- Takashi Shimura as Kanji Watanabe
- Haruo Tanaka as Sakai
- Nobuo Kaneko as Mitsuo, son of Kanji
- Bokuzen Hidari as Ohara
- Miki Odagiri as Toyo
- Shinichi Himori as Kimura
- Minoru Chiaki as Noguchi
- Minosuke Yamada as Subordinate Clerk Saito
- Kamatari Fujiwara as Sub-Section Chief Ono
- Makoto Kobori as Kiichi Watanabe, Kanji's Brother
Ikiru FAQ
Is Ikiru good?
Ikiru has a 90% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 1,309 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Ikiru?
In the US you can stream Ikiru on The Criterion Channel and HBO Max, watch it free with ads on Kanopy and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is Ikiru OK for kids?
Ikiru is rated NR. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that Ikiru is an NR Japanese drama about a dying bureaucrat searching for meaning in his final months.
What movies are like Ikiru?
If you liked Ikiru, try Perfect Days, Tokyo Story, The Human Condition I: No Greater Love and An Autumn Afternoon.