Tokyo Sonata (2009): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Tokyo Sonata is a 2009 drama directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, starring Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyôko Koizumi and Yû Koyanagi. It runs 2 hours and earned $943,547 worldwide. Critics gave it 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h (120 min)
- Director
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Regent Releasing
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Tokyo Sonata About?
The premise of Tokyo Sonata without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A Japanese family struggles to maintain appearances as personal hardships emerge. The father unexpectedly loses his job, while the eldest son is preoccupied with college, creating distance between them. The youngest son harbors a secret passion for playing the piano, further complicating family dynamics. As the mother grapples with these challenges, the carefully constructed facade of their lives begins to crumble, revealing hidden tensions and threatening their relationships.
Tokyo Sonata Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- fire in a steel barrel
- army
- international relations
- watching tv
- chopsticks
- doughnut
- soldier
- music lesson
- police officer
- magazine
- american
- parent teacher meeting
+38 more Show fewer
- promise
- alienation
- parents
- mother father feud
- american occupation of japan
- permission slip
- father murders mother
- large map on wall
- hoodie
- keyboards
- salute
- wall map
- corridor
- unemployment office
- employment office
- mall
- cleaning
- washroom
- charity
- free meal
- suit and tie
- folding laundry
- family dinner
- piano lesson
- slap
- angry father
- thin woman
- impersonator
- double suicide
- japanese girl
- beating
- music teacher
- newspaper
- teacher
- line up
- queue
- truth
- robber
Tokyo Sonata Cast
Teruyuki Kagawa leads the cast, with Kyôko Koizumi and Yû Koyanagi. Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
-
Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa
More from Kiyoshi Kurosawa
More films directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, best-rated first: The Samurai and the Prisoner, To the Ends of the Earth, Cloud and Creepy.
Tokyo Sonata Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Tokyo Sonata 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 94% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 80%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 80 Metascore
User score 8.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 74% User score
See on TMDB
Tokyo Sonata Plot Summary
What happens in Tokyo Sonata from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Tokyo Sonata tells the poignant story of the Sasaki family, consisting of Ryūhei, his wife Megumi, a dedicated housewife, and their two sons, the late-teen Takashi and the middle-schooler Kenji. Within their household, emotional connections are scarce, and genuine communication is a rare occurrence.
After losing his stable office job due to his company’s decision to hire cheaper labor from China, Ryūhei finds himself in a state of growing desperation as he struggles to secure new employment. He reconnects with an old classmate, Kurosu, who has faced a similar fate. Both men conceal the harsh truths of their circumstances from their families, bonding over shared woes. However, tragedy strikes when Ryūhei discovers that Kurosu and his wife have tragically taken their own lives, presumably due to Kurosu’s overwhelming despair.
Full summary
The whole story of Tokyo Sonata, scene by scene
Tokyo Sonata Box Office
Tokyo Sonata grossed $943,547 worldwide. $278,356 came from the US and Canada and $665,191 (70%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$943.5K
- US & Canada
- $278.4K
- International
- $665.2K
Tokyo Sonata Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Tokyo Sonata.
How Well Do You Know Tokyo Sonata?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What job does Ryūhei lose in the movie?
Cars in Tokyo Sonata
24 cars on screen, including the 2008 Peugeot 207 CC and the Yamaha Morphous.
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2008 Peugeot 207 CC Important role -
Yamaha Morphous Important role -
2007 Nissan Micra C+C Minor role -
1998 Nissan Diesel Space Arrow Euro Tour Minor role
Tokyo Sonata Also Known As
12 alternative titles, including “Tôkyô sonata” and “도쿄 소나타”.
- Also known as
-
- Tôkyô sonata
- 도쿄 소나타
- Sonata de Tóquio
- 东京奏鸣曲
- Токийская соната
- טוקיו סונטה
- Токийска соната
- วันที่หัวใจซ่อนเจ็บ
- Tokijska sonata
- 東京奏鳴曲
- Bản Giao Hưởng Tokyo
- Tokió szonáta
Seen Tokyo Sonata?
Movies Like Tokyo Sonata
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Tokyo Story, Children of Tokyo and Tokyo Towers: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad.
Tokyo Sonata FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of Tokyo Sonata, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Tokyo Sonata?
Tokyo Sonata runs 2 hours (120 minutes).
When was Tokyo Sonata released?
Tokyo Sonata was released on March 13, 2009.
Who directed Tokyo Sonata?
Tokyo Sonata was directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
More films by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Who is in the cast of Tokyo Sonata?
Tokyo Sonata stars Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyôko Koizumi and Yû Koyanagi.
How much did Tokyo Sonata make at the box office?
Tokyo Sonata grossed $943,547 worldwide ($278,356 domestic, $665,191 international).
How is Tokyo Sonata rated?
Tokyo Sonata has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 on Metacritic and 74% on TMDB.
Does Tokyo Sonata have a post-credit scene?
No. Tokyo Sonata has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Tokyo Sonata in?
The original language of Tokyo Sonata is Japanese.
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