In a remote village where food is scarce, elders who reach the age of 70 are carried by their children to the top of a nearby mountain to die in solitude. Orin, a vibrant 69-year-old grandmother, has accepted her fate — but struggles to prepare the rest of her family for the ritual.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Kinuyo TanakaOrin | Orin |
 Teiji TakahashiTatsuhei | Tatsuhei |
 Yūko MochizukiTamayan | Tamayan |
 Seiji MiyaguchiMatayan | Matayan |
 Yūnosuke ItōMatayan's son | Matayan's son |
| KKen MitsudaTeruyan | Teruyan |
 Danko IchikawaKesakichi | Kesakichi |
| KKeiko OgasawaraMatsu-yan | Matsu-yan |
 Eijirō TōnoMessenger | Messenger |
 Kō NishimuraOne of the villagers who Teaches Narayama's Manners (uncredited) | One of the villagers who Teaches Narayama's Manners (uncredited) |
| KKatsuyuki HattoriTatsuhei's son (uncredited) | Tatsuhei's son (uncredited) |
 Tokuji KobayashiOne of the villagers who teaches Narayama's manners (uncredited) | One of the villagers who teaches Narayama's manners (uncredited) |
 Masao OdaOne of the villagers who teaches Narayama's manners (uncredited) | One of the villagers who teaches Narayama's manners (uncredited) |