Women of the Night

is a 1948 Japanese drama film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Kinuyo Tanaka. Plot In early post-war Osaka, three women, war widow Fusako, her sister Natsuko, an expatriate from Korea, and Kumiko, Fusako's sister-in-law, descend into prostitution, all for their individual reasons. Fusako, who lost her husband in the war and later her child due to illness, starts working for the company of the intrusive Kuriyama and becomes his mistress. When she learns that Natsuko, who has frequently changing partners, has an affair with Kuriyama, she vows to take her revenge out on men. Natsuko becomes pregnant by Kuriyama, who insists that she has an abortion, but the child is stillborn because Natsuko contracted syphilis. Kumiko, who was raped and robbed of her money after running away from home, has become a streetwalker. When Fusako witnesses Kumiko being beaten by other prostitutes because she entered their territory, she helps her sister-in-law and is beaten up herself. The two women leave the site, heading for an uncertain future. Cast Kinuyo Tanaka as Fusako Owada Sanae Takasugi as Natsuko Kimishima Kumeko Urabe as madam of the brothel Tomie Tsunoda as Kumiko Owada Minpei Miyamoto as Kōji Owada Mitsuo Nagata as Kenzō Kuriyama Kenzō Tanaka as Shuichi Hirata Fusako Maki as female reporter Kimie Hayashi as woman of darkness Umeko Ōbayashi as Tokuko Owada Kikue Mori as store owner Production