Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: hikkoshi-movie.jp (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Shochiku has provided information and large, high-res photos from SAMURAI SHIFTERS (???????, Hikkoshi Daimy?!), the new film from the creator and producers of the SAMURAI HUSTLE series. THE FLOATING CASTLE director Isshin Inudo adapts the novel Hikkoshi Daimyo by Akihiro Dobashi, which is based on an anecdote about the true-life feudal lord, Naonori Matsudairai. STORY In the Edo period, it cost an absolute fortune for a lord to transfer from one fief to another, and if the shogunate reduced their stipend as well, numerous samurai had to be released from service and rendered masterless, making it a cruel fate for all involved. One day, Naonori Matsudaira, the lord of Himeji fiefdom, is ordered to relocate to Oita by the shogunate. The strain of these repeated relocations takes its toll on Matsudaira, and after he passes away, his mantle is inherited by the ineffectual, paralyzingly shy, and generally wet-behind-the-ears librarian Shunnosuke Katagiri (Gen Hoshino). To make matters worse, he has picked up a few derisive nicknames of his own, such as “snail” and “shut-in samurai.” Shunnosuke is appointed to administrate the move for his knowledgeable image as an avid book reader. Forced to take on a task that no one else wants, and he makes a desperate attempt to survive his seemingly hopeless predicament with no manpower, no money, and no experience... CREDITS Japanese Theatrical Release: August 30, 2019 (Nationwide Roadshow) Running Time: 120 Minutes Cast Shunnosuke Katagiri: Gen Hoshino Genemon Takamura: Issey Takahashi Oran: Mitsuki Takahata Naonori Matsudaira: Mitsuhiro Oikawa Ichirota Yamasato: Yukiyoshi Ozawa Kenmotsu Nakanishi: Gaku Hamada Sanemon Motomura: Yutaka Matsushige Shuzo Fujiwara: Masahiko Nishimura Staff Director: Isshin Inudo Original Story: Hikkoshi Daimyo by Akihiro Dobashi Screenplay: Akihiro Dobashi Cinematography: Shoji Ehara Editor: Soichi Ueni Music: Koji Ueno Production Company: “Samurai Shifters” Film Partners Distributor (Japan): Shochiku

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About Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Shochiku traces its origins to 1895 when Takejiro Otani presented his first stage play. They also produced the first color motion picture in Japan, and have expanded into TV dramas, video contents, Kabuki presentation, theater operations, and real estate. The company has become a symbol of enduring tradition as the exclusive promoter of the Kabuki theater in Japan as well as widely known as the creator of the world’s longest-running feature film series, TORA-SAN. The company is making all possible efforts to develop business in various fields, including multimedia and co-productions, across generation, national, and cultural borders.