Is Kokuho a true story or based on real events?

The film is a fictional drama, though it draws on the real world of kabuki theatre in postwar Japan. No specific historical figure is portrayed, but the culture and hierarchy depicted reflect authentic kabuki tradition.

Kokuho ro koja bebinam? Is it on K-Time?

Yes, Kokuho is available to stream on K-Time. Sign in, search for the title, and watch immediately on your TV, phone, or browser — no VPN required, no geographic restrictions.

Does this film have Persian subtitles or dub?

No Persian dub or subtitles are available for Kokuho at this time. The film plays in its original Japanese audio. English subtitles are included, making it accessible to most diaspora viewers.

Chand daghighe ast? How long is the film?

Kokuho runs 174 minutes — just under three hours. The lengthy runtime is intentional, allowing the story to unfold across several decades of the characters' lives at a considered, immersive pace.

Kokuho

Name: Kokuho
Genre: Drama
Released: 2025
Duration: 174 min
Cast: Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Soya Kurokawa

Director: Sang-il Lee

Cast: Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Soya Kurokawa

Kokuho is a 2025 Japanese drama film directed by Sang-il Lee, following two young men over several decades as they dedicate their lives to kabuki, Japan's centuries-old classical theatre tradition. Running 174 minutes, the film is a sweeping portrait of artistic devotion, rivalry, and what it means to become a living national treasure.

What is Kokuho about?

Nagasaki, 1964. When fifteen-year-old Kikuo loses his yakuza father, his world collapses overnight. An unexpected lifeline arrives in the form of a celebrated kabuki master who takes the orphaned boy into his household. There, Kikuo meets Shunsuke — the master's only son, a boy carrying the full weight of theatrical dynasty on his shoulders. The two grow up side by side inside the rigorous world of kabuki training: grueling rehearsals, elaborate costumes, the ancient art of onnagata performance. Decades pass, rivalries deepen, bonds fracture and reform, and both men inch toward the pinnacle of their art. The film traces their parallel journeys from young outsiders to towering figures of Japan's traditional stage, asking what sacrifices true mastery demands — and whether friendship can survive the climb.

Cast & crew

Director Sang-il Lee, known for emotionally intense Japanese cinema, brings a measured, deliberate rhythm to this multigenerational story. Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama carry the film as Kikuo and Shunsuke respectively, conveying decades of shared history with restraint and depth. Veteran actors Ken Watanabe, Shinobu Terajima, and Min Tanaka anchor the supporting cast, lending the production considerable dramatic weight.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, Kokuho resonates on a frequency that transcends its Japanese setting. Themes of cultural inheritance, the pressure to preserve a dying art form, and the tension between personal desire and duty echo experiences deeply familiar to Iranians abroad — many of whom carry their own classical traditions (music, poetry, theatre) far from home. The kabuki world depicted here mirrors the structure of Persian classical arts: a hierarchical lineage, master-to-apprentice transmission, and a sense that entire civilizations live or die inside a single performer's body. The film arrives on K-Time in its original Japanese audio with English subtitles, making it accessible to multilingual diaspora households. At 174 minutes, it rewards patient viewers.

Where & how to watch

Kokuho is available on K-Time in its original Japanese audio with English subtitles — no Persian dub or Persian subtitles are available for this title. Watch on your TV, phone, or directly in your browser with no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Subscribe and cancel anytime.