Actor Ryo Yoshizawa appeared on stage on the opening day of his starring movie "National Treasure" (directed by Lee Sang-il) held in Tokyo on June 6th. Yoshizawa said of the film, "This is a work that we put our souls into," and confidently stated, "For me and (Yokohama) Ryusei, it's not often that we can put a year and a half of preparation time into one 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 work."
Yoshizawa expressed his feelings on the opening day, saying, "I'm happy that the day has come when we can deliver it 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 souls 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, staff, extras, and everyone who was involved in this production. I'm especially grateful to Yoshizawa, because I wouldn't be able to live as Shunsuke without him." He smiled and said, "I'm so happy that the film has been released and that everyone can see it."
Also attending the stage greeting were Takahata Mitsuki, Terajima Shinobu, Mori Nana, Ai Mikami Ai, Kurokawa Soya, Koshiyama Keitatsu, Emma Miyazawa, Tanaka Min, Ken Watanabe, and director Lee.
The film is based on the same-titled novel by Shuichi Yoshida, known for works such as "Parade" and "Park Life." Set in postwar Japan during the period of rapid economic growth, the story follows the protagonist Kikuo (Yoshizawa), who was born into a clan of yakuza but was adopted by the family of kabuki actor Hanjiro Hanai (Watanabe), who meets Hanjiro's heir, Shunsuke (Yokohama). The film depicts the epic story of two men of opposing bloodlines who risk their lives to dedicate their lives to the arts.
