The Only Son
A rural widow sends her only son to Tokyo to receive a better education. Years later, she visits him and finds he has become a night school teacher struggling to support his wife and son.
Where to watch The Only Son in United States
HBO Max Amazon Channel
Criterion Channel
HBO Max
PlexClick a service to open The Only Son there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.
Where is The Only Son streaming around the world?
| Country | Streaming on | Rent / Buy |
|---|---|---|
| United States | HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Plex | — |
| India | Plex | — |
| United Kingdom | Plex | BFI Player |
| Canada | Criterion Channel, Plex | — |
| Australia | Plex | — |
| Germany | Plex | — |
| France | Plex | Apple TV Store |
| Spain | Plex | — |
| Brazil | Plex | — |
| Japan | Amazon Prime Video, U-NEXT, Plus Shochiku Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
About The Only Son
The Only Son is a 1936 Japanese-language drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. The cast is led by Chōko Iida, Shinichi Himori, Masao Hayama. It has a runtime of 1h 27m. Viewers rate it 7.4/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
The Only Son was produced by Shochiku and made in Japan. It was released on September 15, 1936.
- Director
- Yasujirō Ozu
- Writers
- Yasujirō Ozu
- Release date
- September 15, 1936
- Original language
- Japanese
- Status
- Released
- Country
- Japan
- Production
- Shochiku
The Only Son cast & crew
The Only Son was directed by Yasujirō Ozu and written by Yasujirō Ozu.
The cast features Chōko Iida as Tsune Nonomiya, Shinichi Himori as Ryosuke Nonomiya, Masao Hayama as Young Ryosuke, Yoshiko Tsubouchi as Sugiko, Mitsuko Yoshikawa as Otaka, Ryosuke's neighbour, and Tomio Aoki as Tomibo, Otaka's son.
Behind the camera, the score was composed by Senji Ito and cinematography is by Shôjirô Sugimoto.
Is The Only Son worth watching?
The Only Son holds an audience score of 7.4/10 from 116 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.
At 1h 27m, it's an easy, time-light watch.
If you enjoy drama, The Only Son is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch The Only Son
In United States, you can stream The Only Son on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, and Plex. Click any service above to open it directly.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of The Only Son
Chōko Iida
Tsune Nonomiya
Shinichi Himori
Ryosuke Nonomiya
Masao Hayama
Young Ryosuke
Yoshiko Tsubouchi
Sugiko
Mitsuko Yoshikawa
Otaka, Ryosuke's neighbour
Tomio Aoki
Tomibo, Otaka's son
Chishū Ryū
Okubo, Ryosuke's teacher
Tomoko Naniwa
Okubo's Wife
Bakudan Kozo
Okubo's Son
Eiko Takamatsu
Oshige
Seiichi Katô
Neighbor
Kazuo Kojima
Kimiko
The Only Son — FAQs
▸Where can I watch The Only Son in United States?
The Only Son is streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Plex in United States.
▸Is The Only Son on HBO Max Amazon Channel?
Yes — The Only Son is currently available on HBO Max Amazon Channel in United States.
▸What language is The Only Son in?
The Only Son is originally in Japanese. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is The Only Son?
The Only Son runs 1 hours 27 minutes (87 minutes).
▸What is The Only Son rated?
It holds a 7.4/10 audience score from 116 ratings.
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