The House of the Sleeping Virgins (1968)
A hushed, melancholic Japanese drama adapted from Yasunari Kawabata's Nobel-celebrated novella about aging, desire, and the quiet mystery of sleep.
The House of the Sleeping Virgins - Movie Information
- Original Title: 眠れる美女
- Release Year: 1968
- Directed by: Kōzaburō Yoshimura
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama
- Runtime: 1h 35m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): January 31, 1968 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: La casa de las vírgenes dormidas (ES)
- Production Companies: Kindai Eiga Kyokai
- Production Countries: Japan
The House of the Sleeping Virgins - Plot
About an establishment where old men pay to sleep besides young girls that had been narcotized and happen to be naked, the sleeping beauties. The old men are expected to take sleeping pills and share the bed for a whole night with a girl without attempting anything of bad taste like putting a finger inside their mouths.
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The House of the Sleeping Virgins - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Kōzaburō Yoshimura
Main Cast
- Takahiro Tamura
- Yoshiko Kayama
- Kikko Matsuoka
- Sanae Nakahara
- Hisano Yamaoka
- Hyo Kitazawa
- Taiji Tonoyama
- Fudeko Tanaka
- Masako Yagi
- Shun Ōide
Writers
- Kaneto Shindō
Producers
- Hisao Itoya
- Michiyoshi Takashima
The House of the Sleeping Virgins - FAQs
What is The House of the Sleeping Virgins about?
The film centers on a secretive establishment where elderly men pay to spend the night beside young women who have been sedated into a deep sleep. The men are forbidden from disturbing the sleeping beauties, making the experience one of quiet, melancholic contemplation of youth, desire, and mortality.
Is The House of the Sleeping Virgins based on a novel?
Yes, the film adapts Yasunari Kawabata's acclaimed 1961 novella Nemureru Bijo (Sleeping Beauties). Kawabata, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, used the story to explore themes of aging, longing, and the passage of time through the eyes of an elderly protagonist.
Where can you watch The House of the Sleeping Virgins?
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What themes does The House of the Sleeping Virgins explore?
The film digs into aging, desire, and the bittersweet awareness of mortality. The sleeping women serve as a kind of living mirror for the elderly men who visit, prompting memories and regrets. It's a quietly haunting meditation on what it means to be near the end of life.
Who are the main actors in The House of the Sleeping Virgins?
The cast is led by Takahiro Tamura as Eguchi, the central elderly visitor whose inner world drives the narrative. He's joined by Yoshiko Kayama, Kikko Matsuoka, Hisano Yamaoka as Eguchi's wife, Hyo Kitazawa as Old Kiga, and Fudeko Tanaka as Eguchi's mother, among others.
Who directed The House of the Sleeping Virgins?
Kōzaburō Yoshimura directed the film. A respected figure in Japanese cinema, Yoshimura was known for his sensitive, literary adaptations and his ability to render psychological depth on screen. The screenplay was written by Kaneto Shindō, another major name in postwar Japanese filmmaking.
How was The House of the Sleeping Virgins received by critics?
The film is regarded as a thoughtful and visually restrained adaptation of Kawabata's difficult source material. Critics have praised Yoshimura's delicate direction and the film's ability to translate the novella's introspective mood into cinematic terms, making it a notable entry in late 1960s Japanese art cinema.
What is the significance of the film's release year?
The film arrived in January 1968, the same year Yasunari Kawabata won the Nobel Prize in Literature — the first Japanese author to receive the honor. That timing gave the adaptation renewed international attention and underscored the global literary prestige of the source novel.
More About The House of the Sleeping Virgins
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