When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
“The tree sprouts no matter how strong the wind blows.”
Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.
Where to watch When a Woman Ascends the Stairs in India
Can I watch When a Woman Ascends the Stairs in India? When a Woman Ascends the Stairs isn't currently available to stream in India. Availability changes often — add it to your watchlist and check back.
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Click a service to open When a Woman Ascends the Stairs there. Availability last verified on November 13, 2026.
Where is When a Woman Ascends the Stairs streaming around the world?
| Country | Streaming on | Rent / Buy |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, BFI Player Apple TV Channel | — |
| France | — | LaCinetek |
| Spain | Filmin | — |
| Japan | U-NEXT | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store |
About When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is a 1960 Japanese-language drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. The cast is led by Hideko Takamine, Masayuki Mori, Reiko Dan. It has a runtime of 1h 51m. Viewers rate it 8.0/10 across 100 ratings.
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs was produced by TOHO and made in Japan. It was released on January 15, 1960.
- Director
- Mikio Naruse
- Writers
- Ryuzo Kikushima
- Release date
- January 15, 1960
- Original language
- Japanese
- Status
- Released
- Country
- Japan
- Production
- TOHO
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs cast & crew
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs was directed by Mikio Naruse and written by Ryuzo Kikushima.
The cast features Hideko Takamine as Keiko Yashiro, Masayuki Mori as Nobuhiko Fujisaki, Reiko Dan as Junko Inchihashi, Tatsuya Nakadai as Kenichi Komatsu, Daisuke Katō as Matsukichi Sekine, and Ganjirō Nakamura II as Goda.
Behind the camera, the score was composed by Toshirō Mayuzumi, cinematography is by Masao Tamai, and it was produced by Ryuzo Kikushima.
Is When a Woman Ascends the Stairs worth watching?
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs holds an audience score of 8.0/10 from 131 ratings, ranking it among the most acclaimed drama films.
At 1h 51m, it's a standard feature-length watch.
If you enjoy drama, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs isn't currently available on major streaming services in India. We track availability continuously — add it to your watchlist and we'll keep an eye out.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect India today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Hideko Takamine
Keiko Yashiro
Masayuki Mori
Nobuhiko Fujisaki
Reiko Dan
Junko Inchihashi
Tatsuya Nakadai
Kenichi Komatsu
Daisuke Katō
Matsukichi Sekine
Ganjirō Nakamura II
Goda
Eitarō Ozawa
Minobe
Keiko Awaji
Yuri
Chieko Nakakita
Tomoko
Jun Tatara
Goldfish
Yū Fujiki
Matsui
Masao Oda
Yoshizo Yashiro
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs — FAQs
▸Where can I watch When a Woman Ascends the Stairs in India?
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is not currently available on major streaming services in India. Availability changes often — check back soon.
▸Where can I watch When a Woman Ascends the Stairs in the UK?
In the UK, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is streaming on BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, and BFI Player Apple TV Channel.
▸What language is When a Woman Ascends the Stairs in?
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is originally in Japanese. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is When a Woman Ascends the Stairs?
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs runs 1 hours 51 minutes (111 minutes).
▸What is When a Woman Ascends the Stairs rated?
It holds a 8.0/10 audience score from 131 ratings.
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