Railways: Ai o Tsutaerare Nai Otona-Tachi e
Railways: Ai o Tsutaerare Nai Otona-Tachi e (often referred to as Crossroads) is a 2011 Japanese drama film directed by Masatoshi Kurakata. The film is part of the Railways series, which explores human stories centered around the railway industry in Japan.
Plot Synopsis
The story follows Toru Takishima (Tomokazu Miura), a dedicated railway driver approaching his mandatory retirement at age 59. Having spent his career focused almost exclusively on his work, he looks forward to a quiet retirement with his wife, Sawako (Kimiko Yo), who has been a supportive housewife for years. However, the couple's plans are disrupted when Sawako decides to return to her former career as a nurse. This decision leads to significant conflict between the two, culminating in Sawako requesting a divorce and leaving their home, forcing Toru to re-evaluate his life and his relationship with his wife.
Cast
The film features an ensemble cast including:
- Tomokazu Miura as Toru Takishima
- Kimiko Yo as Sawako Takishima
- Eiko Koike as Mai Katayama
- Akiyoshi Nakao as Tomohiko Oda
- Kazuko Yoshiyuki as Nobuko Inoue
- Takashi Tsukamoto as Kouta Katayama
- Ryo Iwamatsu as Yoji Shimamura
- Yu Tokui as Keiji Kono
- Reiji Nakagawa as Masaya Kusunoki
- Akiko Nishina as Tomoka Fukayama
- Michiko Shimizu as Ryoko Sawada
- Shinosuke Tatekawa as father of delivery food
- Masakane Yonekura as Mitsuru Yoshihara
- Masahiko Nishimura as Toshiya Saeki
Production
The film was produced by Shuji Abe and distributed by Shochiku. It was released in Japan on December 3, 2011, with a runtime of 123 minutes.
Related Titles
The film is the second entry in the Railways series, which includes:
- Railways: Bataden: Ichibata Densha monogatari (2010)
- Railways: Ai o Tsutaerare Nai Otona-Tachi e (2011)
- Our Departures: Kazoku Iro: Railways Watashitachi no Shuppatsu (2018)