The Most Beautiful (1944)
Young women at a precision optics factory in wartime Japan push to exceed production quotas, enduring illness, injury, and personal hardship to “serve the country.” Led by Tsuru Watanabe, they fight fatigue and setbacks to keep their line moving—even when duty collides with grief.
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Top Billed Cast: Takashi Shimura, Shōji Kiyokawa, Ichirō Sugai
Runtime: 85 minutes
No Trailer AvailableFull Cast List ▾
Takashi Shimura
Chief Goro Ishida
Shōji Kiyokawa
Soichi Yoshikawa, Chief of General Affairs Section
Ichirō Sugai
Ken Shinda, Chief of Labor Section
Takako Irie
Noriko Mizushima, dorm mother
Yôko Yaguchi
Tsuru Watanabe, president of women workers
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Sayuri Tanima
Yuriko Tanimura, vice president of women workers
Sachiko Ozaki
Sachiko Yamazaki
Shizuko Nishigaki
Fusae Nishioka
Asako Suzuki
Asako Suzumura
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Haruko Toyama
Masako Koyama
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Aiko Masu
Tokiko Hiroda
Kazuko Hitomi
Kazuko Futomi
Shizuko Yamada
Hisae Yamaguchi
Itoko Kono
Sue Okabe
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Emiko Rei
Chie Shima (uncredited)
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Haruko Mii
Haruko Kawai (uncredited)
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Minori Toyohara
Minori Yoyota (uncredited)
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Eiko Hirayama
Yoshiko Shirayama (uncredited)
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Harue Yamashita
Kiyo Mishima (uncredited)
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Mineko Mashiro
Mineko Bando (uncredited)
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Isuzu Miyakawa
Shizue Miyazaki (uncredited)
Michiko Oikawa
Michiko Ayukawa (uncredited)
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Teruko Kato
Teruko Sato (uncredited)
Akitake Kōno
Fire and drum band instructor (uncredited)
Unpei Yokoyama
Dormitory worker (uncredited)
Chieko Nakakita
Student worker (uncredited)
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Koyuri Tanima
Factory worker (uncredited)
