Okada Junichi to star in new movie "Sekigahara" along with Yakusho Koji & Arimura Kasumi

Okada Junichi will be starring in the new movie "Sekigahara" which is to be directed by Harada Masato and due to be shown in autumn 2017. The movie which is based on the same-titled novel by Shiba Ryotaro, features Okada in the leading role of Ishida Mitsunari, a military commander who lived during the Azuchi Momoyama Era and was usually depicted as a shrewd villain in many books and fiction works but will be described in a different way this time. Filming begins in the middle of this month at places such as Shiga and Kyoto. The climax scene will involve about 4,000 extras and 300 horses and the use of CG to show a battle involving 150,000 troops.

Okada admitted that when he first received the offer, he was feeling a bit undecided since Ishida was his rival when he acted in the 2014 NHK Taiga "Gunshi Kanbee". In this new movie though, Ishida is depicted as a man who believes in justice and persistent in love. As such, Okada was keen to change the impression people had of Ishida through this movie as he felt that Shiba's description of Ishida could have been the closest to how the man was truly like.

Co-stars include Yakusho Koji who plays Tokugawa Ieyasu and Arimura Kasumi who plays Hatsume, a ninja from Iga and Ishida's maid. Yakusho had worked with Okada before in the movie "Higurashi no Ki" and is eagerly awaiting to work with him again in this film. As for Arimura, this will be her first appearance in a period movie so she will work hard on the one-month training so as to look convincing for her role.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Sponichi