Director Kazuya Shiraishi’s Journey into Historical Dramas and the Prideful Aesthetic

The Period Drama “Goban Kiri” by the Powerful Duo Tsuyoshi Kusanagi × Kazuya Shiraishi

Winner of the Best Actor Award at the 44th Japan Academy Prize for “Midnight Swan,” Tsuyoshi Kusanagi plays a master Go player and a ronin with a burning desire for revenge in his latest leading role, “Goban Zanri.

The film is directed by Kazuya Shiraishi, winner of the Best Director Award at the 42nd Japan Academy Awards for “The Blood of the Lone Wolf” and the 60th Blue Ribbon Award for Best Director for “The Birds She Does Not Know Their Names”. This is his first period drama.

Kusanagi’s character, Yanagida Tadunoshin, was once chased out of his clan and lost his wife as a result of a false accusation. When he learns the truth, he is accused of more crimes, and his daughter chooses to become a victim herself. The tension between the pride of a samurai, his own innocence, his daughter’s life, and revenge …… and the battles depicted with Go and swords is a must-see.

We caught up with director Kazuya Shiraishi, who brought such a film to the world.

The film ‘Gobangiri’ is based on the classical rakugo story titled “Yanagita Kakunoshin,” which shares its name with the protagonist portrayed by Tsuyoshi Kusanagi.

“It all started with the fact that the screenwriter, Masato Kato, is an avid Go enthusiast.” 

Director Shiraishi explains.

“One day, Kato was told, ‘If you love it so much, why not do ‘Yanagita Kakunoshin’?’ And that’s where it began. Without being asked by anyone, Kato wrote the plot from there, and that’s how it started.”

Once the plot was completed, it reached Director Shiraishi.

“It had the sentimentality of rakugo while incorporating Kato’s original elements, becoming an entertainment piece. Personally, I had always wanted to do a period drama, so I said, ‘Please, I would love to do it!'”

Approach that doesn’t conform to the traditional framework of period dramas: “Battle” depicted through the game of Go.

For Director Shiraishi, this is his first period drama as a director, but he credits his experience working on Director Okuda Eiji’s film “Runin” (2006) for contributing to his approach.

“Learning from Okuda-san’s directing style, which doesn’t adhere strictly to the typical conventions of period dramas, was very enlightening. Period dramas tend to fall into certain established patterns and formats, but Okuda-san’s approach was refreshingly free. That aspect has become a foundation not just for period dramas but for my work in general.”

Period dramas typically rely heavily on sets designed to recreate the atmosphere of the era.

“Given that there aren’t many ancient buildings still standing, we have to rely on what remains and what we can build on set. However, there’s a wealth of knowledge accumulated over the long history of period dramas. It was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. Based on that, we thought about how to incorporate elements that break away from the typical mold.”

There are several differences from contemporary dramas.

“Naturally, during the Edo period, lighting was scarce. So, figuring out how to create the right atmosphere for night scenes through lighting was also an enjoyable challenge.”

In “Gobangiri,” we depict two entirely different types of battle: the physical combat involving swords and the strategic battle on the Goban (Go board). Especially with Go, there are no intense physical movements; instead, we convey a quiet yet sharp battle through the sounds and gazes as stones are placed on the board.

“This aspect was quite challenging. Unlike shogi or chess, where pieces move, and the rules are somewhat easier to grasp, Go is a bit more complex. So, we deliberated on how much explanation is necessary, and how to ensure both beginners and enthusiasts of Go can enjoy the depiction.”

By the way, the director’s experience with Go is,

“Well, I just know the rules to some extent (laughs).”

“The Go stones come in two colors, black and white. I thought the strong contrast between them could be a weapon in terms of visuals. And I was most conscious of wanting to capture the beauty of the moment when the stones are placed, utilizing the movements of the hands and the spaces between them.”

 

The rakugo “Yanagita Kakunosuke” is what you might call a human drama. The director mentioned feeling entertained by the script, but do they consciously emphasize “entertainment” regardless of the genre? When asked about it,

“That’s the only way I intend to shoot.”

“Just because it’s a human drama doesn’t mean it has to be a tearjerker, and in any case, I always aim to entertain in every work.”

 

“If it weren’t for Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, I might not have ventured into period dramas.” 

The meticulousness permeating Shiraishi’s works extends even to such aspects in period dramas.

“In all my works, I never feel the allure of looking cool through makeup. I still love films where actors shine more as they get dirtier and roughed up during the makeup process.”

The transformation in appearance of the protagonist Kakunosuke in the latter part of the film is exactly this “makeunder.”

“After Kakunosuke sets out for revenge, his beard grows unkempt, he stops shaving, and he gets dirty with dust, but he’s incredibly cool.

Ah, I felt like, ‘I wanted to shoot someone like this,’ which is why I wanted to try my hand at period dramas.”

The expression of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi in this film, quietly burning with intensity, is very striking. With the lingering impression of his cheerful and dynamic portrayal of the composer Yoshikazu Hatotori in the NHK morning drama “Boogie Woogie,” aired until March, the contrast is profound.

“That’s precisely the breadth of Kusanagi-san’s range. It’s natural, yet somehow elusive. He’s an amazing actor. You can understand without changing his expression.

I think he’s already reached the level of Toshiro Mifune. It’s the ultimate way of being an actor that still communicates, and I believe that’s what the ultimate form of an actor is.”

Was the encounter with actor Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, whom Director Shiraishi praises so highly, indeed significant?

“Of course. If Kusanagi-san hadn’t wanted to do a period drama, I might not have made this film. He was indispensable; I couldn’t imagine anyone else.”

This film boasts an impressive lineup including Kiyohara Kaya, Nakagawa Taishi, Ichimura Masachika, Saito Takumi, Koizumi Kyoko, Kunimura Jun, and others, but what did Director Shiraishi expect from the cast, including Kusanagi?

“In this story, there’s a sense of living with pride as a human being, such as sacrificing one’s life for others, going to Yoshiwara for the sake of family, or even saying, ‘If you’re going to behead someone, only do it to me.’ I wanted them to convey that aspect.”

Regardless of the genre, Shiraishi’s works seem to be guided by a certain aesthetic.

“I realized that living in difficult everyday circumstances is the same whether in a period drama or in any other world. Especially in period dramas, issues confronted within the feudal and warrior societies are more pronounced. I felt that I could portray it in a simple manner.”

A slightly strange question: Can a Go board really be cut with a Japanese sword?

“Even for a master, that might be quite difficult (laughs). However, there are historical records of images depicting cutting the corners of Go boards. So, there might have been people who were able to cut or chip them to some extent. Or, if conditions aligned, such as matching the grain of the wood.”

Dreams can be quite expansive.

While already eager for the next project, one can’t help but anticipate the second period drama by Shiraishi. Upon mentioning this,

“Well, actually, I’ve already started shooting it.”

!!!

“I haven’t made an official announcement yet, but it’s a period drama.”

He chuckled mischievously.

“When the time comes, please interview me again (laughs).”