18 March 2026
Japan 2023
126 minutes
Director: Toda Akihiro
Kawabe Ichiko happily accepts when her boyfriend Hasegawa asks her to marry him. The very next day, she vanishes 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 shortcomings in the Japanese family register system.
Awards of the Japanese Academy 2024 – Nominee – Best Actress