‘Kokuho’ Creates Opening for Japan’s Film Industry with Lavish Depiction of Kabuki

By Takamichi Asakawa and Misako Takeda/ Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

21:00 JST, December 26, 2025

This year, Japan’s film industry was dominated by “Kokuho,” directed by Lee Sang-il. The film centered on the world of kabuki and got younger people interested in Japan’s traditional performing arts. It broke the box office record for a Japanese live-action film, grossing over ¥18.1 billion and beating out the previous record from 22 years ago. It is also a contender for the Academy Awards, ensuring the buzz continues into the new year.

Attracting young audiences

A “Sold Out” sign was displayed at the Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto on Thursday, the final day of the “Kichirei Kaomise Performance,” a kabuki production held every year. The debut of actor Onoe Kikugoro VIII drew many regular kabuki fans, a noticeable number of whom were young.

Kabuki pieces related to “Kokuho” are set to be performed soon, such as “Kyokanoko Musume Dojoji” in Osaka in January and “Sonezaki Shinju” in Kyoto in March. Nakamura Kazutaro, who appears in both productions, served as movement coach for the film.

“I want [film audiences] to see real kabuki and think it’s interesting, beautiful, lovely and wonderful,” he said.

On Wednesday, Toho Co., the film’s distributor, and Shochiku Co., which manages kabuki performances, will jointly screen the film at the Kabukiza Theatre in Tokyo. Film screenings at the theater are unusual. “We provided the venue so that we could grow the boom together and bring joy to many people who are interested in kabuki,” said a Shochiku official.

Starting with performances in October, the theater introduced “U25 same-day half-price tickets,” offering prime seats at affordable prices to younger people. Available to those age 25 and under, these tickets can be bought at half price if seats are still open on the day of the performance.

Return of older moviegoers

While the film features popular actors Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, it was not initially expected to be a massive success given its theme of traditional performing arts, which young people are not well acquainted with. But the film defied expectations. Yoshizawa and Yokohama underwent rigorous training and performed all the dance sequences themselves without stand-ins. In addition to portraying lavish kabuki stages and the rigor of the art, the film also takes an intense look at love and hatred in connection with family lineage.

On Dec. 16, Lee appeared at a screening in Tokyo with Yoshizawa and Yokohama. Lee expressed gratitude, saying, “It’s a story about kabuki, over three hours long, and many predicted it would be difficult for young people. But we were able to reach a wide range of ages.”

Recent hit Japanese films have mostly been anime adaptations of manga, supported by young audiences. “Kokuho” proved a major hit because it moved a broad audience.

It offered a chance to bring middle-aged and older audiences, who had stayed away from theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic, back to cinemas, a major boon for the film industry.

“Many viewers no doubt rediscovered the joy of watching films in theaters. The spotlight on the world of traditional performing arts has created a new vein of hits for the film industry,” said Minami Ichikawa, Toho’s director.

To be released in N. America

The film began screening in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and other regions in October. It will be released in North America, the world’s largest film market, in February.

The movie is also a contender for the International Feature Film and Makeup and Hairstyling categories at the Academy Awards. Official nominations will be announced in January. The question is how this work, centered on Japanese traditional culture, will be received globally.

“The rigor of mastering an art form is universal. I believe the dedication to pursuing an artistic path will resonate with international audiences,” film critic Sachiko Watanabe said.

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry aims to expand the overseas reach of Japan’s live-action films and dramas. However, sales in 2022 totaled only ¥131 billion, less than a tenth of anime’s earnings.

“If ‘Kokuho’ becomes a hit in North America, it will give momentum to the overseas expansion of Japanese live-action films,” a ministry official said.

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Social media drives dominance

By Eri Ishizuka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

While box-office receipts for “Kokuho” trail the animated film “Demon Slayer — Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Mugen Train” (2020), Japan’s highest grossing film at ¥40.75 billion, this story of the kabuki world has generated twice the revenue of “Kingdom: Return of the Great General.” The latter was Japan’s highest grossing live-action film last year and brought in ¥8.03 billion.

Ticket sales growth for “Kokuho” has been remarkable. After its theatrical release on June 6, its box-office receipts grew for four consecutive weeks. The film placed third in rankings of weekend attendance in its first week and rose to the top spot in its third week.

When domestic live-action films ranked high at the box office in the past, TV stations were closely involved in production and would heavily promote the films in their shows and commercials. By contrast, “Kokuho” derives its success from word of mouth on social media.

In general, social media posts about a film peak the week it is released in theaters and then quickly diminish in number. However, in an analysis using a tool from U.S. company Meltwater to check the number of post and reposts on X containing the words “Kokuho” and “eiga” (film), there were found to be 20,571 such posts and reposts on June 6, the day of the film’s theatrical release. Thereafter, the figure did not drop sharply.

Posting has been fueled by several events, such as on Aug. 18, when it was announced that the film’s box office revenue topped ¥10 billion. On X that day, there were 18,746 posts and reposts.