Japanese life during the past thirty-five turbulent years is depicted in this film through the eyes of two police detectives. One is Henmi, who comes to Tokyo in 1926 from faraway Kagoshima to join the Tokyo police force. His closest friend is Nihei, a farmer's son from Tohoku who becomes the steadying influence on headstrong Henmi.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Keiji SadaYonesaku Nihei | Yonesaku Nihei |
 Minoru ŌkiSaburota Henmi | Saburota Henmi |
 Hizuru TakachihoNobuko | Nobuko |
 Miyuki KuwanoMichiyo | Michiyo |
 Masahiko TsugawaRyushiro Henmi | Ryushiro Henmi |
 Tōru AbeHoshino | Hoshino |
 Noriko MakiSetsuko Tamiya | Setsuko Tamiya |
 Shinichirō MikamiAkio | Akio |
 Mitsuko MitoTakiyo Sugawa | Takiyo Sugawa |
 Fujio SugaInspector Honda | Inspector Honda |
| RRyuji KitaNot listed | Not listed |
 Kōji MitsuiNot listed | Not listed |
 Takamaru SasakiShinzo Matsuyama | Shinzo Matsuyama |
 Hisao ToakeJukichi Kanai | Jukichi Kanai |
| YYoshito YamajiKotetsu | Kotetsu |
| KKoji NakataYamakawa | Yamakawa |
| 真真木康次郎Not listed | Not listed |
| JJo AzumiNot listed | Not listed |
| HHiroshi AoyamaNot listed | Not listed |
| OOmenosuke IchikawaNot listed | Not listed |