Tokyo Story (1953)
Kernel Score: 91% · 1,197 ratings
Genres: Drama
Released: 1953-11-03
Runtime: 137 minutes
Where to watch Tokyo Story
- Stream: HBO Max
- Free with ads: Kanopy, Plex
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
The elderly Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, take the long journey from their small seaside village to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Their elder son, Koichi, a doctor, and their daughter, Shige, a hairdresser, don't have much time to spend with their aged parents, and so it falls to Noriko, the widow of their younger son who was killed in the war, to keep her in-laws company.
Tokyo Story parents' guide: ages 6+
Parents need to know that Tokyo Story is a quiet Japanese family drama about elderly parents visiting their grown children.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Tokyo Story
If you liked Tokyo Story, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Late Spring (1949) — 89%
- An Autumn Afternoon (1962) — 88%
- Nobody Knows (2004) — 87%
- After the Storm (2016) — 78%
- Ikiru (1952) — 90%
- Monster (2023) — 90%
- Detachment (2011) — 85%
- Landscape in the Mist (1988) — 84%
Director
Cast
- Chishū Ryū as Shukichi Hirayama
- Chieko Higashiyama as Tomi Hirayama
- Setsuko Hara as Noriko Hirayama
- Haruko Sugimura as Shige Kaneko
- So Yamamura as Koichi Hirayama
- Kuniko Miyake as Fumiko Hirayama
- Kyōko Kagawa as Kyoko Hirayama
- Eijirō Tōno as Numata
- Nobuo Nakamura as Kurazo Kaneko
- Shirō Ōsaka as Keizo Hirayama
Tokyo Story FAQ
Is Tokyo Story good?
Tokyo Story has a 91% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 1,197 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Tokyo Story?
In the US you can stream Tokyo Story on HBO Max, watch it free with ads on Kanopy and Plex and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is Tokyo Story OK for kids?
Fresh Kernels suggests ages 6+. Parents need to know that Tokyo Story is a quiet Japanese family drama about elderly parents visiting their grown children.
What movies are like Tokyo Story?
If you liked Tokyo Story, try Late Spring, An Autumn Afternoon, Nobody Knows and After the Storm.