Chizuko's Younger Sister
1991 film by Nobuhiko Ōbayashi
Chizuko's Younger Sister (Japanese: ふたり, Hepburn: Futari; lit. "Pair") is a 1991 Japanese coming-of-age fantasy film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi from a screenplay written by Chiho Katsura, based on the novel Futari by Jirō Akagawa. It was filmed in Mukaishima Island, Hiroshima.
Synopsis
The film centers on Mika Kitao (北尾 実加 Kitao Mika; Hikari Ishida), the clumsy and slow younger sister of Chizuko Kitao (北尾 千津子 Kitao Chizuko; Tomoko Nakajima), shortly after Chizuko dies in a freak accident. Although the sisters were very close, it is apparent that Mika lived in the shadow of her older sister's accomplishments. One night, Mika is almost raped by a stranger while walking alone outside. However, during the attack, a person resembling Chizuko silently gestures towards a rock on the ground, which Mika uses to hit her assailant and get away safely.
A few days later, the ghost of Chizuko appears again, admitting that she had been watching over Mika since her death; had Mika not been attacked, she probably would have stayed invisible. Chizuko implores Mika to go to a symphonic concert with Mika's best friend, Mako. At the concert, a man named Tomoya Kaminaga (神永哲也 Kaminaga Tomoya) mistakes Mika for Chizuko; he and Chizuko were lovers, and had agreed to meet at the concert.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Chizuko's Younger Sister” as 1991 film by Nobuhiko Ōbayashi. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 1991 film by Nobuhiko Ōbayashi. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4187711. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1991.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Chizuko's Younger Sister”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Chizuko's Younger Sister primary sources, Chizuko's Younger Sister archive and Chizuko's research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Chizuko's Younger Sister”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Chizuko's Younger Sister” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.