When a group of young geologists declares a mountainside marked for residential development unstable, they are met with scorn on two fronts. On one end, they must contend with the local villagers who balk at the prospect of relocation; on the other, they face the ambitions of the headstrong lumber baron, whose actions will only further destabilize the land. Their pleas for reason ignored, the scientists can do little but observe as nature runs its inevitable course.

Hajime Izu
Kakuzo Ono

Yasuko Fujita
Sadae Miura

Takashi Shimura

Kamatari Fujiwara
Shunpei Goto
Shunji Kasuga
Shoichiro Takayama

Yoshio Kosugi
Nonaka

Kan Yanagiya
Sanpei

Eiko Miyoshi
Old lady Onodera

Harue Tone
Keiko Nasu

Tsuruko Mano
Shunpei's wife Miyo
Ryuzo Okada
Kimiyoshi Motomura
Sôkichi Maki

Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
Yoshiei Fukami
Sadae's uncle
Tateo Kawasaki