Ikigai Backdrop Blur
Ikigai Poster

Ikigai

'Ikigai' follows Mayumi, a 9-year-old girl, as she tries to find balance in her Japanese identity and American nationality. Hanako, her mother who celebrates their culture through Nihon Buyo, sees Mayumi's new school as an opportunity to share their culture with the white students. When Mayumi is assigned a show-and-tell presentation, she takes it as a chance to prove to her classmates that she is not that different from them. But, that plan is soon ruined when Hanako unexpectedly shows up and teaches the class a Japanese dance, embarrassing and exposing Mayumi's cultural background. After coming home ashamed of her mother and Japanese identity, Mayumi receives guidance from her parents that motivates her to return to school and redo her show and tell in a way that would make her ancestors proud.

Top Cast

  • Natsuko Aoike

    Natsuko Aoike

    Hanako Nakaji

  • Brian Takahashi

    Brian Takahashi

    Kenji Nakaji

  • Julia Saito

    Julia Saito

    Mayumi Nakaji

  • Becca Bell

    Becca Bell

    Mrs. Anderson

  • Mary Lapari

    Mary Lapari

    Katherine

  • Sullivan Lapari

    Sullivan Lapari

    Jackson

  • Joilena Fang

    Joilena Fang

    Yumi

  • Jared Hayes Lawrence

    Jared Hayes Lawrence

    Andrew

  • Sayana Kitagawa

    Sayana Kitagawa

    Yuka

Overview

'Ikigai' follows Mayumi, a 9-year-old girl, as she tries to find balance in her Japanese identity and American nationality. Hanako, her mother who celebrates their culture through Nihon Buyo, sees Mayumi's new school as an opportunity to share their culture with the white students. When Mayumi is assigned a show-and-tell presentation, she takes it as a chance to prove to her classmates that she is not that different from them. But, that plan is soon ruined when Hanako unexpectedly shows up and teaches the class a Japanese dance, embarrassing and exposing Mayumi's cultural background. After coming home ashamed of her mother and Japanese identity, Mayumi receives guidance from her parents that motivates her to return to school and redo her show and tell in a way that would make her ancestors proud.

Rating

NR / 10
0 Reviews
1 Popular

Trailers & Clips

Recommendations

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

An acclaimed stage performer, Dorothy still struggled with the challenge of her color, in a time that wouldn't let some stars in by the front door. Yet against the odds she beat out many more famous rivals for the role of "Carmen Jones", becoming the first black woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award. Marriages and affairs would break her heart, but her heart was strong. Seductive and easily seduced, she was born to be a star - with all the glory and all the pain of being loved, abused, cheated, glorified, undermined and undefeated. Here was a woman who wouldn't wait in the wings. Halle Berry stars as Dorothy Dandrige.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

6.5 1999