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Cinema

Kokuho

Fri 8 - Wed 13 May 2026

"Japan’s Oscar Submission Is a Stunning Tale of Art, Ambition and Bloodlines Set in the World of Kabuki" - Hollywood Reporter

Crowned as the highest-grossing live-action film of all time in Japan, spanning decades of ambition, scandals, loyalty, and betrayal, Kokuho traces the extraordinary journey of two performers chasing greatness, as one rises to become a legendary master of Kabuki. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, fourteen-year-old Kikuo is taken in by a renowned Kabuki actor and introduced to the demanding world of traditional theatre. Growing up alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, the two boys devote their lives to the stage - training, performing, and competing as their bond shifts between brotherhood and rivalry. 

An Oscar nominee and winner of 10 Japanese Academy Awards, the film is an epic portrait of artistry, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

Age Rating:15
Language:Japanese with subtitles
Content Warnings:strong sex
Director:Lee Sang-il
Cast:Ryô Yoshizawa, Ryûsei Yokohama, Takahiro Miura, Soya Kurokawa, Keitatsu Koshiyama
Company:VUE Lumière
Trailers:20 mins
Year of Release:2026