Traditional Japanese theatre art form reborn via film

Box office hit 'Kokuho' has given Kabuki a fresh cultural moment, writes Kyodo

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A file photo shows a scene from the highly praised Japanese drama film 'Kokuho'. TOHO CO., SHUICHI YOSHIDA

(TOHO CO., SHUICHI YOSHIDA)

Modern film has shown it can breathe new life into traditional art forms, particularly in Japan, where live-action films have historically struggled to make a lasting cultural mark.

Kokuho, a Kabuki-centric movie, has not only become a surprise box office hit in Japan but has rekindled public interest in the centuries-old performing art.

Portraying a captivating mix of onstage action with resplendent costumes and personal dramas within insular Kabuki circles, the film starring Ryo Yoshizawa grossed 12.4 billion yen (2.7 billion baht) between its nationwide release on June 6 and the end of August.

In Japan, anime titles and foreign blockbusters have dominated the box office charts for decades. But Kokuho, which translates as national treasure, already ranks as the second-highest-grossing domestic live-action film.

Kokuho has leapfrogged Nankyoku Monogatari (Antarctica), a 1983 real-life story of a pack of dogs abandoned on the icy southern continent by scientists, to place just below 2003 police action comedy The Move 2 Rainbow Bridge-o-Fusaseyo (Bayside Shakedown 2), which raked in 17.3 billion yen.