Tampopo

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Tampopo

1986

1h 54m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Two Japanese milk-truck drivers (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) help a restaurant owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) learn how to cook great noodles.

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Critics Consensus

Thanks to director Juzo Itami's offbeat humor and sharp satirical edge, Tampopo is a funny, sexy, affectionate celebration of food and its broad influence on Japanese culture.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/13/2023

Itami uses his background in commercial art: every now and then, the characters assume shiny Pop poses, and the images have the slightly crazed look of heightened reality.

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Anupama Chopra

Film Companion

05/18/2020

So you're watching all this amazing food being consumed, you're getting hungrier and hungrier and you're laughing harder and harder.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

05/02/2017

In Tampopo, every aspect of life is filtered through the prism of food - its rituals of preparation and consumption, its role as a social unifier or divider, its many healthy uses and perverse abuses.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

05/01/2025

3.5/4

Itami squeezes Japanese food customs, even as he offers a fondly humorous survey of them.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

04/10/2022

3.5/4

What is it about food that brings out the best in filmmakers all across the globe?

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Pieter-Jan Van Haecke

Psychocinematography

08/11/2020

Tampopo is a classic that shows that life, in all its diverse aspects, turns around food and the enjoyment it provides. A narrative that needs to be savoured!

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Tom F

@RT55173143 3d

A terrific food movie with great character arcs.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke May 26

Hilarious! A gem of a movie, and now one of our favorites. The humor worked from beginning to end, with the music and soundtrack making it even funnier. In some ways it reminded me of the best Jacques Tati films, where the visual jokes, timing, sound, and odd little human behaviors all fit together perfectly.

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Cecilia T

@CBCB2000 Feb 16

Masterpiece! So full of iconic scenes! tender, energetic, great soundtrack. watch this next)

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Jason J

@JasonJoshua Jan 2

Tampoco is a classic comedic wonderland I laughed and was blown away. It’s almost a comedic western style flick, except with Ramen 94 for me

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Ed .

@RT01276001 Aug 22

Hey, it's only ramen... I enjoyed the main story. I enjoyed some of the vignettes accompanying the main story. I disliked the other vignettes. Hence, my unusual pairing of liking the film yet rating it 2.5 stars.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 06/07/2025

Funny in 1 hour and 54 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Japanese and English audio versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $224,100.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Copyright 1986-2025 by New Yorker Films!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Juzo Itami

Director

Tsutomu Yamazaki

Goro

Nobuko Miyamoto

Tampopo

Ken Watanabe

Gun

Kôji Yakusho

Man in White Suit

Rikiya Yasuoka

Pisuken

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Synopsis

Two Japanese milk-truck drivers (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) help a restaurant owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) learn how to cook great noodles.

Director: Juzo Itami
Producer: Seigo Hosogoe, Juzo Itami, Yasushi Tamaoki
Screenwriter: Juzo Itami
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Production Co: Itami Productions, New Century Productions
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1986, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2016
Release Date (Streaming): May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $224.1K
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)