Reel Lives: Kokuho

Crowned as the highest-grossing live-action film of all time in Japan and nominated for an Oscar®, Kokuho is about ambition, loyalty, and the making of a Kabuki legend.

Set in Nagasaki, 1964 — After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre.

For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together — from acting school to the grandest stages — amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals... One of them will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of Kabuki. From acclaimed director Sang-il Lee (Pachinko), Kokuho (meaning “national treasure”) is a film of awe-inspiring scope and sumptuous beauty which has been described by legendary actor Tom Cruise as an “elegant…effortless…beautiful cultural experience.”

Lee Sang-il | Japan | 2025 | 174 mins | Subtitled