Film”Kokuho”

Film”Kokuho” -映画「国宝」～エイガ「コクホウ」～ –

Table Of Contents

• Introduction
• Story
• Staff
• Cast
• Pamphlet
• Summary

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Introduction

I decided to watch it at the cinema because it had good reviews, a good story, and beautiful visuals, but the running time was 2 hours and 55 minutes, so it was quite long, and I made sure to take good care of myself, including making sure to go to the toilet before going to see it.

The film “Kokuho” is based on a novel by Shuichi Yoshida and was released on June 6, 2025.
The film is directed by Lee Sang-il and stars Yoshizawa Ryo.
This will be Lee’s third time adapting a work by Shuichi Yoshida into a film, following Villain and Rage, and he is also the director of ‘Hula Girls’, which I have also seen. (The Japanese film was released nationwide on September 23, 2006, starring Yasuko Matsuyuki, and produced and distributed by Cine Quanon.)

The original novel was serialized in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper from January 1, 2017 to May 29, 2018, and was subsequently revised and published in two parts by Asahi Shimbun Publications on September 7, 2018: “Kokuho, Volume 1: Youth” and “Kokuho, Volume 2: Hanamichi.”

(;^ω^)I didn’t know this, but apparently there’s a manga version too.
Big Comics〈Shogakukan〉”Kokuho” Manga: Yoshida Shuichi (original story) and Mikuni Shimei (illustrations)
3 volumes published (as of August 31, 2025)
Volume 1 will be released on September 30th, 2024, Volume 2 on March 28th, 2025, and Volume 3 on May 30th, 2025.

It was scheduled to be released nationwide in Japan on June 6, 2025, and although I had wanted to see it, I was hesitant to go because I have no interest in Kabuki. However, Kabuki is a part of Japanese culture, and the film will still be showing in November 2025, so I decided to go see it in early November 2025 before it ended.

Story

This is the story of a man who would later become a Living National Treasure of Kabuki.
Set in Nagasaki in the 1960s, the story follows the protagonist Kikuo (Yoshizawa Ryo, played as Kurokawa Soya in his youth) as he leads a turbulent life as a kabuki actor, at a time when the two worlds of the yakuza and the prestigious Kamigata kabuki world intersect.

The story dates back to the early Showa period (Nagasaki in the 1960s), and depicts the protagonist, who escapes the violent world of the yakuza and becomes fascinated with Kabuki, and whose talent is discovered as he grows into a potential successor to the prestigious Hanai Hanjiro family.

Staff

Director: Lee Sang-il-李 相日（イ・サンイル／リ・サンイル）-
Original work: Shuichi Yoshida -原作：吉田 修一（よしだ しゅういち）-
Screenplay: Satoko Okudera -脚本：奥寺 佐渡子（おくでら さとこ）-
Cinematography: Sofiane El Fani -撮影：ソフィアン・エル・ファニ –
Art director: Yohei Taneda -美術監督：種田 陽平（たねだ ようへい）-

Cast

Kikuo Tachibana (Toichiro Hanai): Ryo Yoshizawa (childhood: Soya Kurokawa)
-立花喜久雄（花井東一郎）：吉沢 亮（少年期：黒川想矢）-
Shunsuke Ogaki (Hamiya Hanai): Yokohama Ryusei (childhood: Keita Koshiyama)
-大垣俊介（花井半弥）：横浜 流星（少年期：越山敬達）-
Harue Fukuda: Mitsuki Takahata
-福田春江：高畑 充希-
Sachiko Ogaki: Shinobu Terashima
-大垣幸子：寺島 しのぶ-
Akiko: Nana Mori
-彰子：森 七菜-
Takeno: Takahiro Miura
-竹野：三浦 貴大-
Fujikoma: Ai Mikami
-藤駒：見上 愛-
Gongoro Tachibana: Masatoshi Nagase
-立花権五郎：永瀬 正敏-
Umeki: Kyusaku Shimada
-梅木：嶋田 久作-
Tachibana Matsu: Emma Miyazawa
-立花マツ：宮澤 エマ-
Azuma Sengoro: Nakamura Ganjiro
-吾妻千五郎：中村 鴈治郎-
Onogawa Manju: Tanaka Min
-小野川万菊：田中 泯-
Hanjiro Hanai: Ken Watanabe
-花井半二郎：渡辺 謙-
Others

Pamphlet

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Summary

Watch a movie…
(*’ω’*)It was very good!
I wanted to immerse myself in the movie, so I sat in the center of the front row.
I watched the film while looking up, and since there was no one around, I was able to concentrate and the 2 hours and 55 minutes wasn’t too difficult.In fact, I think they could have delved a little deeper into the main character.
I think that would be a perfect balance, like making it into a two-part series or a drama.
It has been announced that “National Treasure” will be screened with English subtitles at the following theaters in Japan from Friday, October 3rd.
・TOHO Cinemas Hibiya
・TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills
・TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku
・109 Cinemas Premium Shinjuku
・TOHO Cinemas Ikebukuro
・Yokosuka Humax Cinemas
・TOHO Cinemas Namba
・Cinema Rycom
・United Cinemas PARCO CITY Urasoe

“GKIDS,” known for having many works nominated for an Academy Award, will be the first Japanese live-action film to be distributed in North America, with the film scheduled for release in early 2026.
For details On the official website  
 Official website for the film “Kokuho”   

What I realized again was that I would like to see a Kabuki performance at a theater.
In the past, there was little entertainment available, and Kabuki developed as a form of entertainment for the general public. I would like to conclude by expressing my respect and admiration for Japan and for the people who continue to carry on and develop Kabuki, preserving the culture to this day.
If you have any information about streaming the movie “Kokuho” I would be happy to share it with you.

Thank you for watching.