Koji Yakusho and Junichi Okada to star in "Higurashi no Ki"

By kevin on March 12, 2013 at 4:25am EDT

On Monday it was announced that Takashi Koizumi will be directing a film adaptation of Rin Hamuro’s Naoki Prize-winning novel Higurashi no Ki.

The project is described as a period drama depicting the love between a master and his student, love between husband and wife, and love within a family. Actor Koji Yakusho (57) will play the protagonist, a man named Toda Shūkoku. His co-stars include Junichi Okada(32), Maki Horikita (24), and Mieko Harada (54).

Koizumi was a long-time assistant director under legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and made his debut adapting Kurosawa’s final script After the Rain in 1999. The film went on to win the Green Lion (CinemAvvenire) Award at the Venice Film Festival. Higurashi no Ki will mark his first project since 2007’s Best Wishes for Tomorrow.

In the film, Okada plays a samurai named Danno Shōzaburō who was rumored to be involved in a sword attack against an old friend at his clan’s castle. In order to atone for the incident, he’s given an unusual assignment by the chief retainer.

7 years earlier, Toda Shūkoku was arrested for having an affair with a feudal lord’s concubine and murdering someone who uncovered his infidelity. Because he was working on an important genealogy project for the domain, he was allowed to live with his family for 10 years, after which he would be expected to commit seppuku (ritual suicide). With only 3 years left, Shōzaburō is ordered to move into Shūkoku’s house in order to keep an eye on him. If the man attempts to escape, Shōzaburō is to kill him along with his entire family.

While living with Shūkoku, his wife Orie (Harada), his daughter Kaoru (Horikita), and his young son Ikutaro, Shōzaburō finds it increasingly difficult to believe the man could have committed the crime he’s accused of.

Filming of Higurashi no Ki will take place across 10 locations throughout Japan, including Iwate and Nagano, from late April to late June. Production is expected to be completed by late September and the film is slated for release in 2014.

Sources: Eiga.com, Tokyohive