Actor Satoshi Tsumabuki attended a press conference in Tokyo on May 5th to announce the completion of the movie "Treasure Island" (directed by Otomo Keishi, to be released on September 19th), in which he plays the lead role. Tsumabuki, who was appointed as the promotional ambassador for the film, said with a wry smile, "No matter how many times I read the script, I can't remember what it means to be a 'promotional ambassador'."
Tsukamoto said, "Ever since I was shooting the movie, I've wanted to meet everyone in person and promote it," and "When I was working on 'Waterboys' (directed by Shinobu Yaguchi, released in 2001), I went to many places with the director, and in each place, people fell in love with the movie, and I experienced how the movie became theirs. I thought I could do the same thing with 'Treasure Island.'" He continued, "The movie is set in Okinawa, but I think it's a story about Japan, and about everyone. It's a story about the baton of life, and we need to pass on what has been passed down to us to the future. As an ambassador, I want to deliver these words to you in person."
Furthermore, regarding the film's running time of over three hours, he said, "It's a little long, so be sure to go to the bathroom before watching it. I don't want you to miss it."
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Junjo Shindo, which won the 160th Naoki Prize, the 9th Yamada Futaro Prize, and the 5th Okinawa Bookstore Award. Set in Okinawa, which was under American rule after the war, the film depicts the turbulent 20 years of the young people known as "Senka Agiyar." Tsukamoto plays the main character, Gusuku.
Suzu Hirose, Masataka Kubota, and Director Otomo also attended the press conference. A video message from Eita Nagayama was shown.
