I Want to Be a Shellfish (1958)

Plot Summary

Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the accusation by GHQ, Toyomatsu "attemped to kill a US prisoner", which was nothing but an order by his superior and failed after all with hurting the prisoner by weak Toyomatsu. Also, Toyomatsu was driven to corner at the trial by the fact that he fed the US prisoner some burdock roots to nourish him. Toyomatsu believes nothing but being not guilty, but he is sentenced to death by hanging. Prior to the execution, Toyomatsu writes a long farewell letter to his family, the wife and the only son: "If I ever incarnate, I hate to be a human being any more.... Oh yes, I would like to be...a shellfish living on the rock-bottom of the sea."

Full Cast & Characters

Frankie Sakai

Shimizu Toyomatsu

Mutsuko Sakura

Shimizu Fusae

Toshie Takada

Toshiko

Shin Saburi

Lieutenant-General Yano

Yoshio Ōmori

Staff Officer

Yasumi Hara

Kōji Nanbara

Koji Kiyomura

Kazuo Kumakura

Hōsei Komatsu

Taketoshi Naitō

Seijirô Onda

Director & Crew

Where to Watch I Want to Be a Shellfish Online

Frequently Asked Questions