It was a week of highs and lows for Japanese cinema as nominations for the Japan Academy Film Prize and the Oscars were announced Monday and Thursday, respectively.
For the Japan Academy Film Prize — Japan’s top film honors — Lee Sang-il’s kabuki drama “Kokuho” emerged as the leading contender. The surprise smash hit earned a best picture nomination along with nods in 12 other categories, including best director and actor, as well as multiple spots in the best supporting actor and supporting actress categories.
Based on Shuichi Yoshida’s two-part novel of the same name, “Kokuho” follows the lives of two onnagata (male kabuki actors playing female roles) who become friends and rivals in postwar Osaka. Released in June, the film gained momentum through word of mouth, climbing to the top of the box office and holding its position for weeks. By Nov. 24, “Kokuho” grossed more than ¥17.37 billion ($111 million), breaking a 22-year-old domestic box-office record for a live-action Japanese film set by the 2003 actioner “Bayside Shakedown 2.”