The surreal cloudy background that appears in the final dream sequence (as well as the video cover) was painted by director Akira Kurosawa himself.
Kurosawa described his film as being about "something very precious, which has been all but forgotten: The enviable world of warm hearts. I hope that all the people who have seen this picture will leave the theater feeling refreshed, with broad smiles on their faces."
Tatsuo Matsumura was 79 years old when he played the Professor, portraying the professor between the ages of 58 and 77. Matsumura was older than his character throughout the movie, almost twenty years older than the Professor he portrayed for most of the picture.
The 31st and final film directed by Kurosawa, who was 83 during filming.