My Neighbors the Yamadas

"The ups and downs of life."

1999 1h 44m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

🍅

78%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 636🍅78%Rotten Tomatoes●75Metacritic★7.1IMDB · 17,257

AnimationComedyFamily

Synopsis

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The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

“The ups and downs of life.”

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Cast

Hayato Isohata
Noboru Yamada (voice)
Masako Araki
Shige Yamano (voice)
Naomi Uno
Nonoko Yamada (voice)
Toru Masuoka
Takashi Yamada (voice)
Yukiji Asaoka
Matsuko Yamada (voice)
Akiko Yano
Teacher Fujihara (voice)
Kosanji Yanagiya
Haiku Reader (voice)
Tamao Nakamura
Shige's Friend (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Isao Takahata
Writers: Isao Takahata
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 78% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Isao Takahata, shot by Atsushi Okui. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Akiko Yano. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Takeshi Seyama shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hayato Isohata and Masako Araki and Naomi Uno carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The ups and downs of life.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0206013 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Isao Takahata directs. Atsushi Okui behind the camera. Akiko Yano scores. Takeshi Seyama cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 78% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
227 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Isao Takahata, shot by Atsushi Okui. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Akiko Yano. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Takeshi Seyama shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Hayato Isohata and Masako Araki and Naomi Uno carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The ups and downs of life.".
8IMDB entry: tt0206013 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "surrealism", "middle class", "dysfunctional family", "based on manga".
10Released under 22 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Atsushi Okui
Original score: Akiko Yano
Editing: Takeshi Seyama
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,270,000
Box office: $11,910,000
Return: 78% of budget
Original language: JA
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 75/100
IMDB rating: 7.1/10 · 17,257 votes
MPAA: PG

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Isao Takahata

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What people are saying

Alunauwie2025-09-29
★ 9/10
My Neighbors The Yamadas offers a heartfelt portrayal of everyday family life through a series of relatable and lighthearted vignettes. Its unique, minimalist art style and warm color palette enhance the emotional tone, setting it apart from other Studio Ghibli works. Full of life lessons and gentle humor, this film is perfect for family viewing and reminds us of the beauty in ordinary moments. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

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