I Want to Be a Shellfish (1958): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1958, I Want to Be a Shellfish is a notable film directed by Yoshihiko Okamoto, running about 100 minutes.

What it’s about. 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."

Who’s in it. I Want to Be a Shellfish stars Frankie Sakai as Shimizu Toyomatsu, Mutsuko Sakura as Shimizu Fusae, Toshie Takada as Toshiko and Shin Saburi as Lieutenant-General Yano, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch I Want to Be a Shellfish page.