SMAP member Shingo Katori to star in "Kurobe no Taiyou" TV remake

by Chris MaGee

In July we posted the story that the film "Kurobe no Taiyou" was going to be adapted as a FujiTV series. The original film, directed by Kei Kumai and starring Toshiro Mifune and Yujiro Ishihara, tells the momentous story of the construction of the Kurobe Dam in Toyama Prefecture. While it was a huge box office hit in Japan when it's initial theatrical run in 1968 Ishihara had blocked the film from being shown or released ever since.

Now casting details of the FujiTV remake have surfaced. SMAP member Shingo Katori will star in the Yujiro Ishihara role while Kaoru Kobayashi will take the place of Toshiro Mifune (well, if it's possible for someone to take the place of Toshiro Mifune.)

Thanks to Tokyograph for this follow-up story.