The Fossil_
An industrialist is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is on a trip to Europe at the time, and a glimpse of a Japanese woman in that setting causes him to fantasize about her as the personification of his impending death. As his dialogue with his imagined mortality continues, he actually meets the living woman who is the template for his fantasy, and together they tour rural churches. Gradually he comes to some kind of peace about the diagnosis. When he returns to Japan, he is met with a series of challenges which profoundly test the lessons he has learned.
Starring
Shin Saburi, Keiko Kishi, Gō Katō
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Year context
The Fossil was released 51 years ago in 1975.
Overview
An industrialist is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is on a trip to Europe at the time, and a glimpse of a Japanese woman in that setting causes him to fa...
The Fossil is a Drama, Fantasy film with a runtime of 3h 33m.
CAST (20)
Shin Saburi
Tajihei Itsuki
Keiko Kishi
Madame Marcelin
Gō Katō
Narrator
Hisashi Igawa
Funazu
Mayumi Ogawa
Akiko Itsuki
Komaki Kurihara
Kiyoko Itsuki
Kei Yamamoto
Akihiko Kishi
Orie Satō
Kishi's wife
Seiji Miyaguchi
Sunami
Haruko Sugimura
Itsuki's stepmother
Ichirō Nakatani
Taisuke (Itskuki's brother)
Yoshio Inaba
Toyoshima
SM
Sue Mitobe
Itsuki family's maid
Jūkichi Uno
Tappei Yakubi
Shigeru Kōyama
Dr. Kihara
TH
Tetsuo Hasegawa
Akiko's husband
Ichirō Nakatani
Taisuke, Tajihei's brother
Yūsuke Takita
Jūkichi Uno
Tappei Yabuki
Kei Yamamoto
Akihiko Kishi
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Fossil about?
An industrialist is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is on a trip to Europe at the time, and a glimpse of a Japanese woman in that setting causes him to fantasize about her as the personification of his impending death. As his dialogue with his imagined mortality continues, he actually meets the living woman who is the template for his fantasy, and together they tour rural churches. Gradually he comes to some kind of peace about the diagnosis. When he returns to Japan, he is met with a series of challenges which profoundly test the lessons he has learned.
How long is The Fossil?
The Fossil has a runtime of 213 minutes (3h 33m).
Who stars in The Fossil?
The cast of The Fossil includes Shin Saburi, Keiko Kishi, Gō Katō, Hisashi Igawa, Mayumi Ogawa.
What is the rating of The Fossil?
The Fossil has a rating of 6.8 out of 10 based on 11 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
Fantasy