Posts Categorized: Japanese Movies

Feb 7 2017

Kiichi Nakai and Kuranosuke Sasaki cast in movie “Full of Lies”

Kiichi Nakai and Kuranosuke Sasaki are cast in new movie “Full of Lies” (literal title of “Usohappyaku”). Movie is directed by Masaharu Take (“100 Yen Love“). Filming for the movie will take place February, 2017 in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan and the story will be set there. In the movie, Kiichi Nakai plays antique deal Norio and Kuranosuke Sasaki plays potter Sasuke. The two men come across legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu’s chaki (tea utensil).

“Full of Lies” will be released next year in Japan.

Feb 3 2017

Trailer for movie “The Blue Hearts”

Trailer added for upcoming omnibus film “The Blue Hearts.” The movie features 6 segments directed by Sang-il Lee, Ken Iizuka & Ten Shimoyama among others. What binds the 6 segments together is the music of Japanese rock band “The Blue Hearts” (their song “Linda Linda Linda” featured prominently in Nobuhiro Yamashita‘s 2005 film “Linda Linda Linda“). The directors picked their favorite songs by the band and made a short film based around the song.

“The Blue Hearts” opens April 8, 2017 in Japan.

Feb 3 2017

Kento Yamazaki & Tomokazu Miura cast in movie “A Forest of Wool and Steel”

Kento Yamazaki & Tomokazu Miura are cast in new movie “A Forest of Wool and Steel” (“Hitsuji to Hagane no Mori”). The film is based on 2015 novel “Hitsuji to Hagane no Mori” by Natsu Miyashita, which won the 13th Japan Booksellers’ Award in 2016. Kojiro Hashimoto, who worked with Kento Yamazaki in 2015 film “Orange,” will direct the film. In the film, Kento Yamazaki will play Naoki Tomura. He is a high school student in a small Hokkaido village. Once he hears Soichiro Itadori (Tomokazu Miura) tune the piano at his high school, his life changes. He tries to become a piano tuner himself.

“A Forest of Wool and Steel” will be released 2018 in Japan.

Jan 31 2017

Masato Sakai and Mitsuki Takahata cast in live-action film “Destiny Kamakura Monogatari”

Masato Sakai and Mitsuki Takahata are cast in live-action film “Destiny Kamakura Monogatari.” The film is based on manga series “Kamakura Monogatari” by Ryohei Saigan and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Director Takashi Yamazaki previously adapted manga series “San-chome no Yuhi” by Ryohei Saigan into live-action film “Always: Sunset on Third Street.” Also cast in the movie in supporting roles are Shinichi Tsutsumi, Min Tanaka, Jun Kunimura, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Tomokazu Miura, Sakura Ando and Tamao Nakamura.

In live-action film “Destiny Kamakura Monogatari,” Masato Sakai and Mitsuki Takahata will play husband and wife Masakazu Isshiki and Akiko Isshiki. They live in Kamakura, Japan with Masakazu Isshiki working as a mystery writer. They also solve mysterious cases that takes place in Kamakura.

“Destiny Kamakura Monogatari” will be released December 9, 2017 in Japan.

Jan 31 2017

Yasushi Fuchikami and Shunsuke Tanaka cast in live-action film “Double Mints”

Yasushi Fuchikami and Shunsuke Tanaka (‘Boys and Men’) are cast in live-action film “Double Mints.” In addition, Shunpei Kawagoishi and Kenta Suga are cast to play the two main characters in their high school days. Ami Tomite, Kazuya Takahashi and Shigemitsu Ogi are also cast in supporting roles. The film is based on manga series”Double Mints” by Asumiko Nakamura and directed by Eiji Uchida. Story for the film follows two men with the same name of Mitsuo Ichikawa, but spelled differently in kanji. They went to the same high school. Back then, one was more of a subordinate to the other. Now, one of the men is a hoodlum and tells the other Mitsuo Ichikawa that he killed a woman. They become accomplices and build a new relationship.

“Double Mints will be released sometime this summer in Japan.