Tsumabuki Satoshi, Kamenashi Kazuya, Kamiji Yusuke, Katsuji Ryo, Ikematsu Sosuke co-star in new movie "Vancouver no Asahi"

Tsumabuki Satoshi will be starring in the new movie "Vancouver no Asahi" (Dawn of Vancouver" which is due to be shown in cinemas in December. The movie is a real story which talks about how some Japanese-Canadians tried to overcome discrimination and poverty before WWII through baseball and also features KAT-TUN's Kamenashi Kazuya, Kamiji Yusuke, Katsuji Ryo and Ikematsu Sosuke in the cast lineup.

There was a baseball team named Vancouver Asahigun which was made up of Japanese people who lived in Canada before WWII and they managed to beat many Canadian teams with their samurai-style baseball between 1914 and 1941. The team even took part in the local amateurs' league and earned the praise and popularity of the local community over time. However, with the start of WWII, the team disbanded but was later awarded with the highest honour in the Canadian baseball's hall of fame in 2003 for its contribution to Canada's immigrant society and the baseball culture there. This year happens to be the team's 100th anniversary since its establishment.

Tsumabuki's role Reggie Kasahara who was a second-generation Japanese-Canada and worked in a factory, was the shortstop of the baseball team. However, Tsumabuki is the only one in the cast who has never played baseball so he is undergoing intense training in preparation for the role. As for the rest of the cast, Kamenashi will play Roy Naganishi, the ace of the team who worked in his family's fishing business while Kamiji will play Tom Miyake, the catcher whose family owned a tofu shop. Katsuji will be taking on the role of Kay Kitamoto the second baseman and Ikematsu will be Frank Nojima who is the third baseman and a baseball fanatic since his days as a student.

Source: Sanspo