A scene from 'Kokuho'

Kokuho review: TIFF 2025

‘Kokuho’ is a passionate exploration of the Japanese art of Kabuki through the ambitions of two young rival actors.

The film begins in Nagasaki in 1964. Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa) is the orphaned son of a yakuza boss that shows great potential for Kabuki theatre. Having seen his talent, a celebrated Kabuki master (Ken Watanabe) agrees to make Kikuo his apprentice alongside his son, Shunsuke (Ryusei Yokohama).

Over the course of five decades, audiences witness two distinct sides of Kabuki. On the one hand, the art of Kabuki is beautiful. The men in the film are trained in onnagata, which is the long-running practice of men playing women on stage. Their movements are deliberate, but effortless. It takes years of dedication and practice to perfect the execution. The best become legends of their craft or kokuho, which means a national treasure.

Read the full review of Kokuho at thatshelf.com

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