Actor Ryo Yoshizawa appeared on stage on June 6th at the opening day greeting for his starring film "National Treasure" (directed by Lee Sang-il) in Tokyo. Yoshizawa said of the film, "We put our souls into it," and confidently continued, "For me and (Yokohama) Ryusei, it's not often that we can put a year and a half of preparation into a single role. I'm not joking, I think we've put our entire acting career into this. I think we've created a wonderful, extremely entertaining piece of work."
Yoshizawa expressed his feelings on the opening day, saying, "I'm happy that the day has come when we can deliver the film to everyone, but at the same time, I also feel a bit lonely and it's a strange feeling." Yokohama responded, "It's not something to be taken for granted that the film will be released, so I feel relieved and grateful. We put our heart and soul into this film, so I hope it reaches the hearts of as many people as possible."
Yokohama also expressed his gratitude, saying, "I'm truly grateful to all the cast members, staff, extras, and everyone involved in this production. I'm especially grateful to Yoshizawa-kun, because I wouldn't be able to live as Shunsuke without him." He smiled and said, "I'm happy that the film has been released and that everyone will be able to see it."
Also attending the stage greeting were Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Nana Mori, Ai Mikami, Soya Kurokawa, Keita Koshiyama, Emma Miyazawa Nagase, Emma Miyazawa, Min Tanaka, Ken Watanabe, and director Lee.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida, known for works such as "Parade" and "Park Life." Set in post-war Japan during the period of rapid economic growth, the story follows the protagonist Kikuo (Yoshizawa), who was born into a family of yakuza gangsters but was adopted into the home of kabuki actor Hanjiro Hanai (Watanabe), who meets Hanjiro's heir, Shunsuke (Yokohama). The epic story follows two men of completely opposite bloodlines who risk their lives to dedicate their lives to the art of kabuki.
