It was revealed on November 12 that the final project of director Kazuki Omori, who passed away on November 12, 2022, will be a film titled "Bakumatsu Hippocrates" starring Kuranosuke Sasaki, directed by Akira Ogata, who inherited Omori's will, and released in early summer 2026.
Considered a masterpiece from his twenties, "Hippocrates" (1980) was filmed in Kyoto, set in the student dormitories of his alma mater, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, and a coffee shop along the Kamo River. It was highly acclaimed for its portrayal of the youth and struggles of medical students. Then, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, Omori's project "Hippocrates in the Bakumatsu Period" was selected as the best project for the university's 150th anniversary, and a film was set to be produced. However, just as preparations for filming were underway, Omori passed away. The project was temporarily put on hold. However, with the cooperation of the university, director Ogata, who had previously served as assistant director to Omori, has taken on the director's duties and completed the film.
Set in a Kyoto village during the late Edo period, where traditional Chinese medicine doctors and Western-style doctors coexist, the story follows the life of Okura Taikichi, a village doctor and Western-style doctor (played by Sasaki) and his commitment to passing on his hopes to the next generation. Takuchi's rival, Arakawa Gensai, a Chinese medicine doctor who claims "any illness can be cured with Kakkonto," is played by Takashi Naito, who also appeared in "Hippocrates," while Fujiwara Kisetsu plays Sagara Shinza, a hot-tempered young man who is rescued by Takuchi after suffering a serious injury. Fujino Ryoko plays Sagara Mine, Shinza's sister, and Maki Yoko plays Okura Fumi, Takuchi's supportive wife. The mysterious samurai Danzo is played by Emoto Akira, who played an older trainee doctor in "Hippocrates," and the narration is provided by Muroi Shigeru, who also appeared in Omori's "Hear the Wind Sing," and other cast members associated with director Omori also take part.
