The Most Beautiful
Akira Kurosawa1944-04-13
5.5
85 min
Young women at a precision optics factory in wartime Japan push to exceed production quotas, enduring illness, injury, and personal hardship to “serve the country.” Led by Tsuru Watanabe, they fight fatigue and setbacks to keep their line moving—even when duty collides with grief.
Cast
| Name | Character | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Takashi Shimura | Chief Goro Ishida | Unowned |
 |
Shōji Kiyokawa | Soichi Yoshikawa, Chief of General Affairs Section | Unowned |
 |
Ichirō Sugai | Ken Shinda, Chief of Labor Section | Unowned |
 |
Takako Irie | Noriko Mizushima, dorm mother | Unowned |
 |
Yôko Yaguchi | Tsuru Watanabe, president of women workers | Unowned |
 |
Sayuri Tanima | Yuriko Tanimura, vice president of women workers | Unowned |
 |
Sachiko Ozaki | Sachiko Yamazaki | Unowned |
 |
Shizuko Nishigaki | Fusae Nishioka | Unowned |
 |
Asako Suzuki | Asako Suzumura | Unowned |
|
Haruko Toyama | Masako Koyama | Unowned |
|
Aiko Masu | Tokiko Hiroda | Unowned |
 |
Kazuko Hitomi | Kazuko Futomi | Unowned |
 |
Shizuko Yamada | Hisae Yamaguchi | Unowned |
 |
Itoko Kōno | Sue Okabe | Unowned |
|
Emiko Rei | Chie Shima (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Haruko Mii | Haruko Kawai (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Minori Toyohara | Minori Yoyota (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Eiko Hirayama | Yoshiko Shirayama (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Harue Yamashita | Kiyo Mishima (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Mineko Mashiro | Mineko Bando (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Isuzu Miyakawa | Shizue Miyazaki (uncredited) | Unowned |
 |
Michiko Oikawa | Michiko Ayukawa (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Teruko Kato | Teruko Sato (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Akitake Kōno | Fire and drum band instructor (uncredited) | Unowned |
 |
Unpei Yokoyama | Dormitory worker (uncredited) | Unowned |
 |
Chieko Nakakita | Student worker (uncredited) | Unowned |
|
Koyuri Tanima | Factory worker (uncredited) | Unowned |