Actor Kenji Kohashi hits the road for his documentary "DON'T STOP"

by Chris MaGee

Reality can often times be a hell of a lot more fascinating that fiction. Case in point is a new documentary by actor Kenji Kohashi. Kohashi starred in Ryuhei Kitamura's "Azumi" as well as more than two dozen TV series, but then he wanted more than just the life of an actor. The 31-year-old moved to the U.S. and it was his own journey to America that would end up mirroring that of the subject of his his new documentary "DON'T STOP!"

"DON"T STOP" tells the story of CAP, a 46-year-old Hokkaido native who is obsessed with America, particularly the frontier life of of bikers out on the open road. As a younger man CAP travelled the U.S. on a Harley, but when he was 26 he suffered a road accident that left him wheelchair bound, paralyzed below the waist and with a damaged left arm. Since then Life for CAP has consisted of watching Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider" on a loop in his room in Hokkaido... that is until Kohashi helps him travel back to America.

"DON'T STOP" will be getting a Japanese theatrical release, but not until 2012. Until then Kohashi will be touring his documentary in a number of cities, and we can only hope on the film festival circuit.

Thanks to Tokyograph for news of this film, and to Oricon for the above promo image.