Koji Yakusho

“[Translated] This one. The great Akira Kurosawa's Akahige. The English title is Red Beard. It's a film that stretches beyond the three-hour mark. It's a beautiful film, it really is. It's a wonderful story about a doctor who helps the poor. The young doctor admires him, and the film portrays his growth in the profession. It's a wonderful film. -Will you please put it in your bag? -Oh, that's right. Okay. Red Beard.”

“[Translated] This is another Akira Kurosawa film, Ikiru. Oh, they kept the Japanese title for this one. Here's a story from when I was a kid. My older brother had just come back from watching this film. He told me all about the story that night as we went to sleep. I also went to see this film as an adult. The story unfolded exactly as my brother described it. I was impressed by how vividly my brother remembered and how carefully he watched this film.”

“[Translated] This is Harakiri. The Japanese title is Seppuku. This is a film directed by Masaki Kobayashi and starring the actor Tatsuya Nakadai. He was actually my teacher when I first started getting into acting. Without him, I wouldn't be here right now.”

“[Translated] This is The Funeral. The Japanese title is Ososhiki. This film is the directorial debut of the late Juzo Itami. It's a wonderful film. It portrays a funeral scene that every Japanese person has experienced in a humorous way. I consider this one a masterpiece. It's a wonderful film.”

“[Translated] This is another masterpiece, Cure. I'm in this film. It's a very scary film that taps into human psychology. It will give you the chills. You hear this strange noise throughout the whole film. It's just very scary. It's a scary story about how humans become monsters when they're in a stress-free state. I highly recommend it.”

“[Translated] Yes. This one. You must all love this one. The Japanese title is Machi no hi. How can I put this? In film, dialogue is crucial. Words are powerful, yes, but this one doesn't have much dialogue and relies on the visuals in a way that's only possible in film. City Lights is a wonderful film, no matter how many times I watch it.”

“[Translated] I recently worked with the director of this film. A film called Perfect Days. The first time I learned about this director was through this film, Paris, Texas. What a cool film. It features music by Ry Cooder. Oh, that's right. The protagonist of this film also has very few lines. I barely had any lines in Perfect Days as well. But yes, what a beautiful... Truly beautiful film.”