Junji Sakamoto (Another Battle, Chameleon) is directing a new film adaptation of Tatsuo Shimizu’s novel Yukizuri no Machi. The book was awarded the Japanese Aventure Novel Association Grand Prix in 1990 and was ranked #1 by the annual “Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!” mystery novel guide in 1992. The story was previously adapted to a 2-hour renzoku drama starring Yutaka Mizutani and Miki Fujitani which aired on TV Asahi in 2000.

The new film will star Toru Nakamura as a former teacher burdened with a dark past. He was forced out of his job at a prestigious girls’ high school in Tokyo when a scandal involving a student named Masako (Manami Konishi) came to light. 12 years later, he’s finally reunited with Masako, who’s now divorced and managing a bar.

The role is a bit of a departure for Konishi, whose image has typically been one of the princess or girl next door. Sakamoto commented that she usually plays pro-active, positive women, but this role required her to show a totally different side by being high-strung and emotional.

Sakamoto has been a long-time fan of the original novel, having read it when it was first released. His own feelings for the story have helped the production go more smoothly, though he admits it’s a hard project to complete.

“Yukizuri no Machi” will be released in Fall 2010.

Source: Cinema Today

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Tags: junji sakamoto, manami konishi, toru nakamura, yukizuri no machi