It was announced on January 29th that the film "Magical Secret Tour" (directed by Amano Chihiro, distributed by Asmik Ace), starring actress Arimura Kasumi, will be released on June 19th. A 90-second trailer was also released. This is Arimura's first time taking on the role of a mother, and her first time acting alongside Kuroki Haru and Minami Sara. As part of the trio, she plays characters who become criminals by getting involved in gold smuggling.
The film is directed by Amano Chihiro, who gained attention when she won the Japan Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay for the film "Mrs. Noisy" (2019), and has also written and directed the online drama "Hayama Kentaro's Pregnancy" (2022) and the film "Mr. Sato and Mr. Sato" (2025).
Arimura plays Wakako, a mother of two who suddenly learns of her husband's embezzlement and debts. She has two sides to her: a mother who is dedicated to raising her children, and a criminal who boldly carries out gold smuggling.
Kuroki and Minami play accomplices who meet by chance in Singapore and smuggle gold together. Kuroki plays Kiyoe, a researcher who is struggling to repay her student loans and is in debt for 6 million yen, while Minami plays Mayu, an unmarried pregnant woman with no savings. This is Minami's first time playing a pregnant woman.
Other cast members include Shiono Akihisa as Takashi, the husband of Wakako (Arimura) who is fired from his company for embezzlement, and the up-and-coming young actor Aoki Yuzu as Shiina, a fellow researcher who has a promising future ahead of his senior, Kiyoe (Kuroki). Tanoue, Takashi's boss, played by Shiono, is played by Saito Takumi, and the supporting cast includes a wide range of actors, from young actors like Hayase Ikue and Kurihara Hayato to experienced actors like Shinohara Yukiko, Nakajima Hiroko, Minemura Rie, and Sano Shiro.
The film is an original work inspired by a real-life incident in 2017 in which housewives were arrested for "gold smuggling" at Chubu Centrair International Airport. The story follows three people who appear to have no connection to crime, who meet by chance and develop a bond as friends through gold smuggling. Filming took place on a large scale in Singapore.
Comments from the main cast and director are as follows:
◇Comment from Kasumi Arimura
Even if the moments are awkward and not something they can be proud of, for them it is a way of life. I filmed this film while praying for the outcome of this story together with the director and everyone else. Please take a look at their precious and earnest way of life.
◇Comment from Haru Kuroki
The story of three women from different backgrounds who meet by chance and gradually become a team is fascinating and moving. The scene in Singapore where I cross a bridge in the rain with Arimura-san and Minami-san is particularly memorable and an unforgettable memory. The film is thrilling yet also packed with emotional nuances, so I hope you enjoy it in the theater.
◇Comment from Sara Minami
The reality that cannot be overcome by effort or goodwill alone drives people into a corner and distorts their choices. We desperately ran through this imperfection of human beings and society. I think the filming period made us realize that the environment we are given is always unequal and unreasonable. I would be happy if the viewers can see a connection to their own realities in the images of these girls, who are torn between what is right and what it means to live. Thank you for your support.
◇Comment from Chihiro Amano (director and screenwriter)
In 2017, while I was busy raising my children, I came across an article titled "Five housewives arrested for smuggling gold bars hidden in their underwear," and I was intrigued. Why would housewives smuggle gold? Hiding it in their underwear? What kind of people were they? My interest was strangely drawn not to these women as criminals, but to them as ordinary people. My imagination grew wild, wondering what kind of lives they led, whether there was some reason for it, and how they planned it. Perhaps, as a fellow housewife, I saw myself in them somewhere. Of course, crime is inexcusable. But rather than simply labeling those who committed crimes as "evil," I think it's actually important to consider what circumstances might have been behind their actions.
