Ichiko

Part of The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2025

Q&A with director TODA Akihiro

Japanese title: 市子 (Ichiko)


KAWABE Ichiko happily accepts when her boyfriend HASEGAWA asks her to marry him. But the very next day, she’s vanished without a trace, and HASEGAWA contacts the police only to find out that there is no record of KAWABE Ichiko ever existing. Who is Ichiko, and where has she gone?

Determined to find her, HASEGAWA tracks down people from her past, listening to their stories and piecing together fragments of the woman he knew. Little by little, the truth of Ichiko’s life emerges... and the shocking, heart-wrenching extent of her suffering is brought to light.

Adapted from director TODA Akihiro’s own critically acclaimed stage play, Ichiko is an arresting and powerfully human exploration of many important social issues, including poverty, abuse and the holes in the Japanese family register system.

Image Credit: ©2023 "Ichiko" Film Partners