Night on the Galactic Railroad

"Japan's most beloved children's book is now a hauntingly beautiful feature film."

1985 1h 48m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 104

AdventureAnimationDramaFamilyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Lonely and awkward, Giovanni struggles with his sick mother, absent father, and an afterschool job that isolates him from his peers. But on the night of the Festival of Stars, he is magically transported onto a celestial train with his only friend, Campanella. Together, they embark on an extraordinary journey through the galaxy, encountering mysterious characters and grappling with life's deepest questions.

“Japan's most beloved children's book is now a hauntingly beautiful feature film.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Mayumi Tanaka
Giovanni (voice)
Chika Sakamoto
Campanella (voice)
Junko Hori
Zanelli (voice)
Kaori Nakahara
Kaoru (voice)
Yoshie Shimamura
Giovanni's Mother (voice)
Reiko Niimura
Old Woman (voice)
Ayumi Ishijo
(voice)
Ayako Hori
(voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gisaburō Sugii
Writers: Minoru Betsuyaku
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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gisaburō Sugii, shot by Nobuo Koyama. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Mayumi Tanaka and Chika Sakamoto and Junko Hori carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Japan's most beloved children's book is now a hauntingly beautiful feature film.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0089206 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gisaburō Sugii directs. Nobuo Koyama behind the camera. Haruomi Hosono scores. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

141 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Gisaburō Sugii, shot by Nobuo Koyama. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Haruomi Hosono. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Mayumi Tanaka and Chika Sakamoto and Junko Hori carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Japan's most beloved children's book is now a hauntingly beautiful feature film.".
6IMDB entry: tt0089206 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 12 themes, including "friendship", "japan", "based on novel or book", "buddhism".

The technical file

Cinematography: Nobuo Koyama
Original score: Haruomi Hosono
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Night on the Galactic Railroad (1985)

Also by

Gisaburō Sugii

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Norsk2026-03-27
★ 7/10
Based on a 1983 manga which was itself based on the classic 1927 book by Kenji Miyazawa, Night on the Galactic Railroad is a movie you are unlikely to forget. This movie will leave you sad, bewildered and happy all at various times. Two humanoid cats find themselves on a mysterious railroad through the universe. There are others on board this train as well and all of them seem to know where it is heading except the blue cat Giovanni who does not seem at all bothered by this - he is simply enjoying the train ride. This is a movie best seen late at night as it helps set the mood. The soundtrack is simple yet really fits. All in all, a solid anime that is not talked about nearly enough.

Production companies