Iemon Tamiya is an impoverished masterless samurai who craves a better life, which he cannot have because of his marriage to Oiwa, who is completely devoted to her husband.

Kinuyo Tanaka
as Oiwa / Osode

Ken Uehara
as Tamiya Iemon

Hisako Yamane
as Oume

Haruko Sugimura
as Oshin

Chōko Iida
as Okura

Osamu Takizawa
as Naosuke Gonbei

Jūkichi Uno
as Yomoshichi

Keiji Sada
as Kobotoke Kohei

Aizo Tamashima
as Takuetsu, the masseur

Ken Mitsuda
as Ichimonjiya Kihei