By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team
The latest work by Masayuki Suzuki, director of "Hero Movie 2," "Hotel Natsume" features custom-built Kyoto streetscapes from Japan’s Warring States period, along with a full-scale reconstruction of the real-life Honnō-ji Temple — all crafted with meticulous historical accuracy that wowed the cast. Lead actress Ryoko Yonekura and actor Tsutomu Yamazaki previously played lovers in "Our Little Sister" and reunite here as the film's romantic leads. Thanks to its time-travel plot, “modern-day” Yonekura and “period-costumed” Yamazaki deliver perfectly matched comedic chemistry from the very first scene.
Stills from "Hotel Natsume." (Photo provided by Transimage Interactive)
Stills from "Hotel Natsume." (Photo provided by Transimage Interactive)
Kurimoto Mayuko (played by Ryoko Yonekura), on the verge of getting married, visits Kyoto for a pilgrimage before her wedding and checks in at the famed Hotel Natsume — only to unexpectedly uncover the hotel’s astonishing secret. Unknowingly stepping through a time portal within the hotel, Mayuko finds herself transported to 1582, during Japan’s Warring States period, and encounters local warlord Oda Nobunaga (Tsutomu Yamazaki) and his page Mori Ranmaru (Hamada Kenji).
Stills from "Hotel Natsume." (Photo provided by Transimage Interactive)
Intrigued and puzzled by this mysterious woman from the future dressed in “strange” attire, Oda Nobunaga and the others are thrown into confusion. Meanwhile, Mayuko, while exploring the ancient capital, suddenly recalls that 1582 was the year of the infamous Incident at Honnō-ji — in which Oda Nobunaga met his death. How will Mayuko break the truth to Nobunaga, and how can she return to her own time in order to make it to her wedding?
Poster for "Hotel Natsume." (Photo provided by Transimage Interactive)
[Info]
Director: Masayuki Suzuki
Cast: Ryoko Yonekura, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Hamada Kenji
Genre: Drama
Release Date: March 24
Production Company: Transimage Interactive