The Ballad of Narayama (1958)

Narayama bushikô

With my mother on my back, now is the time to say goodbye to this world.

98 min★ 7.8 · 4,212 votes

• Drama

In a remote village where food is scarce, elders who reach the age of 70 are carried by their children to the top of a nearby mountain to die in solitude. Orin, a vibrant 69-year-old grandmother, has accepted her fate — but struggles to prepare the rest of her family for the ritual.

Release date

June 1, 1958

Country of origin

Japan

Music

Chûji Kinoshita, Matsunosuke Nozawa