* Takashi Shimura as Kanji Watanabe, the main character
* Nobuko Otowa as Tomoko, Watanabe's daughter-in-law
* Shin Saburi as Watanabe's son, who dies in the film
* Minoru Chiaki as Mr. Sugimoto, Watanabe's colleague
* Haruko Sugimura as Ms. Ryoko, Watanabe's other colleague
* Misa Uehara as a young woman who Watanabe meets in a bar
* Kamatari Fujiwara as Mr. Onodera, a doctor
* Ken Uehara as Mr. Kojima, an official
The film also features many supporting actors and actresses, playing roles such as Watanabe's other colleagues, neighbors, and residents of the city.