SUNSET SUNRISE Press Notes and Photo Gallery From Warner Bros. Japan

Official Site: http://sunsetsunrise-movie.jp (Japan)

Warner Bros. Pictures Japan has provided information and photos for SUNSET SUNRISE (サンセット・サンライズ , Sansetto Sanraizu), a new comedy film that will open in Japanese cinemas on January 17th.

A salaryman in Tokyo tries a “trial migration” to a coastal town, and finds an unexpected life awaiting him! The film adaptation of the novel Sunset Sunrise written by Shuhei Nire stars Masaki Suda (GINTAMA, THE GREAT WAR OF ARCHIMEDES), with a screenplay by Kankuro Kudo (BAKUMAN, ICHIKEI'S CROW) and direction by Yoshiyuki Kishi (DOUBLE LIFE, (AB)NORMAL DESIRE). This humanistic comedy humorously depicts the interaction between a businessman who has emigrated from the city and the residents of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, and turns it into rich entertainment while confronting social issues such as the impact of the pandemic in Japan, rural areas suffering from depopulation, and the aftermath of the 3.11 earthquake.

Story

In 2020, Shinsaku, an employee of a major corporation in Tokyo, ends up moving to a rural town in the Tohoku region to work remotely during the COVID pandemic. His new home is a two-story house facing the Sanriku Coast. His landlord, Momoka, works at the local city hall and deals with the widespread problem of abandoned houses, so as a first step, she has decided to rent out a detached building on her own property to Shinsaku.

During a two-week period of self-quarantine, Shinsaku sneaks out alone every morning to indulge in his hobby of fishing, and fully enjoys the fresh food he acquires from the local environment. While the world cowers in fear of a little-understood virus, to Shinsaku, his new surroundings are heavenly. On the day his isolation ends, he sees Momoka remove her face mask for the first time, which stirs feelings within him.

When townspeople learn that some unknown man has taken up residence on Momoka's property, they can't contain themselves. Shinsaku receives a rough welcome, but he tries to win them over with his inherent positivity and initiative. Meanwhile, his company begins a project to utilize abandoned houses, so he works together with the locals in an attempt to revitalize their town.

Just as he is settling into his new life on the Sanriku Coast, Shinsaku learns one day that Momoko lost her husband and children in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami nine years earlier. The house that he is renting now was originally intended to be a new home for Momoka and her family.

Details

Release Date: Friday, January 17, 2025 (Japan)
Running Time: 139 Minutes

Cast
Shinsaku Nishio: Masaki Suda
Momoka Sekino: Mao Inoue
Kensuke Kurabe: Pistol Takehara
Shinichiro Yamashiro: Hiroshi Yamamoto
Kousaku Hirahata: Masao Yoshii
Sawako Fujima
Mizuki Kayashima
Juzo Kurokawa: Bito Kiyoshi
Kazuaki Hankai
Tomu Miyazaki
Takashi Matsuo
Takeshi Takamori: Ken Miyake
Hitomi Mochida: Chizuru Ikewaki
Seiichiro Otsu: Fumiyo Kohinata
Akio Sekino: Masatoshi Nakamura

Staff
Original Story: Sunset Sunrise by Shuhei Nire (Kodansha Bunko)
Director: Yoshiyuki Kishi
Screenplay: Kankuro Kudo

Cinematographer: Keisuke Imamura
Editor: Yoshihito Okashita
Producer: Tomoko Tomita

Music: Shohei Amimori

Production: "Sunset Sunrise" Film Partners
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Japan