Yukio, a farm boy, and Toru, a fisherboy, live in a small Japanese village that is periodically threatened by a volcano on one side and tidal waves on the other. Yukio's younger sister Setsu follows then and dreams of becoming a pearl diver. Toru is preparing to go fishing with his father when a bell tolls and a danger flag is hung high on the hill behind the village to warn of an impending tidal wave by the village patriarch, known as Old Gentleman.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Jūzō ItamiToru | Toru |
 Mickey CurtisYukio | Yukio |
 Heihachirō ŌkawaYukio's Father | Yukio's Father |
 Chieko MurataYukio's mother | Yukio's mother |
 Sessue HayakawaThe Old Man | The Old Man |
 Rumiko SasaSetsu | Setsu |
 Reiko HigaHaruko | Haruko |
 Noriko SengokuToru's mother | Toru's mother |
 Kōji ShitaraToru as a boy | Toru as a boy |
 Hiroyuki ÔtaYukio as a Boy | Yukio as a Boy |
 Judy OnggSetsu as a girl | Setsu as a girl |
| SSachiko AtamiHaruko as a girl | Haruko as a girl |
 Tetsu NakamuraToru's Father | Toru's Father |
| FFrank TokunagaNot listed | Not listed |
| SShigeru NihonmatsuServant | Servant |